A Different Result
by Etc Flip
Summary: The Fourth Hokage and his wife were able to stop the masked man when the Kyuubi attacked. How will Tobi's lack of activity and manipulation affect the outcome of Naruto's future? Slow buildup. 4/12/15: Abandoned! Check my profile for details.
1. Consequences

**A/N: If you see any issues, please let me know. I also like to get constructive criticism.  
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***Some things in this story are inspired by other authors.  
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****Naruto may be annoying for a bit after this chapter, so skip to chapter four if you wish to avoid that. You're missing out on some development, though.  
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><p>Chapter One: Consequences<p>

(Konoha, One Day After Kyuubi Attack)

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, sat in the main office of the Hokage Tower with his three advisers: Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo. The day after the attack of the Kyuubi, the _Nine-Tailed Demon Fox_, the Third Hokage had called the meeting to discuss the future of who could become an important asset to Konohagakure no Sato, as well as the unfortunate circumstances that surrounded him.

The aging man took a quick glance at the blonde-haired child nestled comfortably in a cradle filled with blankets before clearing his throat to get the attention of his advisers, "I presume you have all read the report I have sent you," Hiruzen said. "No one but the ones who can directly remember the attack may know of Naruto's status. His generation will grow up believing that his father killed the Kyuubi. In addition, I do not wish for his heritage to become known, so I am giving him his mothers surname."

Mitokado Homura spoke up, "Are you sure about this, Hiruzen? His heritage could very well stem any... disregard Konoha may give him." Being a politician, it was quite easy to tell that the public could easily swallow petulant lies and ignore common sense. Fear tended to have that effect.

Shimura Danzo chose to interrupt, "Namikaze Minato inflicted great losses to Iwagakure during the Third Great Shinobi War. Although they are still recovering, Minato's son will be a direct provocation and we cannot hope to match them after yesterday's attack." Homura nodded in compliance. It was likely that Iwa would stoop low enough to kill the newborn son of Namikaze Minato in the hopes that the coming of a second Yellow Flash could be stopped.

"I will assume that you hope to have the boy make his own friends by leaving his status unknown, Hiruzen?" remarked Koharu. The status of jinchuri was a well-known thing; they would grow up alone and hated, with little to no affection or attention granted to them by their surroundings. By leaving the fact that he had a Biju sealed within him in the dark from children his own age, the Hokage hoped that Naruto would be able to live a normal life as a child. Hopefully, the actions of the people would not get to him.

"Yes, that is true. It is my hope that he will make friends and that he is eventually accepted by the people. However," Hiruzen said, fixing Danzo with a stern look, "He is _not_ to be called a weapon. He is not our weapon, despite what advantages that might grant us."

Danzo scoffed in reply, "The other villages already have trained jinchuriki. Ignoring such a boon is not wise."

"Danzo, if you recall, the Shodai's wife was not seen as a weapon. Despite Kushina's status, she did not use the Kyuubi's power in aggression," Koharu replied, turning to face Danzo as she did so. The bandaged war-hawk grunted in reply, but did not press the matter. In any case, Naruto could become a great shinobi regardless, which was fine by him.

Hiruzen folded his hands in placed them on his desk. The law would pass and Naruto's heritage would be locked away until the time was right. Was he doing the right thing? Would Naruto resent him when he found out about the withheld information?

"The law will be issued tomorrow. The civilians and shinobi will have no say over this." The Hokage then reached into a drawer in his desk and opened it, taking something out from its contents. Placing the white mask on his desk, he waited for the reactions of his advisers. Two of them stared at the thing in confusion, while another did so in hidden shock. "This is something that I did not mention in the report. When I saw Minato seal the Kyuubi away, he and Kushina sealed... something else." He paused, waiting for them to put the pieces together.

Danzo recovered and spoke first, "The Yondaime was able to stop the attack, as well as the person behind it."

Hiruzen nodded. "That he did. When the sealing was complete, this was all that was left."

"Who could have had enough power to control the Kyuubi itself?" Homura shakily replied, his face having slightly paled. "The last one to do such a thing was Uchiha Madara."

"The attack could have been from them," Koharu suggested. Unlikely, but there was always the chance.

Hiruzen sighed and raised a hand to rub his temple. "I do not know if it true, but it may be prudent to be cautious around the Uchiha." With that, Naruto yawned and woke up before starting to cry, essentially signaling the end of the meeting.

Hiruzen placed the mask back into the drawer of his desk and saw his advisers out. Danzo lingered for a moment, shooting a look to the bawling baby before finally leaving the room. Hiruzen took out a bottle from the folds of his robe and went to work feeding the baby, smiling softly as he did so.

_A short meeting, but a necessary one_, he thought. When Naruto's godfather returned, certain things would need to be asked. The masked man was an oddity and now that he was removed, it left questions. Many questions. Did he have any help in removing the Kyuubi? Why did he want to destroy Konoha? How did he find out about Kushina's induced delivery?

With the bottle finished, Naruto burped before closing his eyes once more. The Hokage placed the baby back into his cradle, sighing as he did so. Hiruzen briefly closed his eyes while a flash of pain crossed his visage. With his wife gone, it would be difficult to watch over Naruto. Unfortunately, Hiruzen had never had much experience raising extremely young children. His duties often got in the way, but now he would have to raise the child until he could find a suitable wet nurse. Hopefully he would find one that would see Naruto as a helpless baby and not as an avatar of destruction in human form.

**VvVvV**

(Konoha, Hidden ROOT Base)

Danzo entered the hidden ROOT base of Konoha, walking towards his office. The Sandaime had ordered ROOT to be disbanded years ago due to the harsh training it subjected shinobi-to-be through. Of course, just because the Sandaime told Danzo to disband ROOT did not mean he would actually do it. The organization had too many advantages being hidden in the shadows to be completely broken down and scattered. While the Hokage's job was for publicity and more _visible_ problems such as border disputes, economic woes, and strength demonstration, Danzo's job as head of ROOT was to deal with the more hidden, underground issues, both domestic and foreign that threatened Konoha.

The base itself was rather spartan in configuration. Dimly lit hallways led to various rooms throughout the complex, with members either training or waiting for mission updates. The environment Danzo supplied his shinobi with was extremely efficient at creating emotionless tools that would gladly give their lives for the good of Konoha. In Danzo's opinion, emotions led to war, pain, and hatred. Therefore, removing them would lead to less war, pain, and hatred. For some reason, most people did not see the logic in his ideas, but that was not too important. ROOT, despite its small size, did its job admirably, which left Danzo satisfied.

He reached his wooden office door, opened it, and sat in a chair behind his metal desk. He had not expected that masked man to be the one behind the Kyuubi attack. The man had simply appeared in front of Danzo half a year ago, giving him some information on a small group named _Akatsuki_. The group was situated in Amegakure, or the Village Hidden in the Rain. The masked man had been subtly telling Danzo that the group was becoming extremely powerful and might pose a threat to Konoha, which had prompted him to start negotiating with Hanzo, despite his ire towards him.

With the masked man being the mastermind behind the Kyuubi's release, he would have to take all of the information he had been supplied with a grain of salt, not that he didn't already. Perhaps Akatsuki could wait. Historically, Ame's location had dealt it much damage throughout the Great Shinobi Wars, which led to many orphans being seen on the streets. Akatsuki was apparently comprised of those orphaned children. If that was the case, then it was likely they had less than adequate abilities. If the group could fight Hanzo, then Akatsuki would either splinter and die, or Hanzo would be killed. Either situation was win-win in Danzo's opinion. For now, Amegakure was a neutral nation.

With the current status quo, war was not likely to come again for quite some time.

_Perhaps_, Danzo thought, _For once, ROOT will not interfere with such issues_.

**VvVvV**

(Kirigakure, Days After Kyuubi Attack in Konoha)

In a misty land across the sea, while lying in his bed, the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura, blinked for a few moments in confusion. He heard some rumbles in his head about "damned doujutsu techniques" before taking a deep breath.

A genjutsu had been controlling him, that he knew. He was completely aware of all of his actions, such as his propaganda against wielders of kekkei genkai, as well as the instating of a new, gruesome ninja academy graduation exam. Kiri was already weak at the moment, despite having not participated in any of the Great Shinobi Wars. Why would his controller want to start a genocide against those who held kekkei genkai?

Yagura closed his eyes for a moment, choosing to converse with his tenant. The effects of the genjutsu were completely dispelled, which led him to believe the bastard who had initially used it was now dead. Such a powerful genjutsu would not have been removed unless the man himself ended it or had died. His tenant believed it was the latter, which was a positive thing. However, the turmoil Kirigakure was undergoing at the moment was not.

Yagura was practically asking for a civil war if he continued with his persecutions. In the long run, this would be detrimental to both Kiri's economy and military might. Kekkei genkei were _useful_, regardless of the stigma regarding them. Their bloodlines could be used as tools, like how the Swordsman each used their own unique weapon for combat.

The Kaguya Clan's attack and consequent destruction had only increased fear towards those with special blood. Yagura did not know why the masked man wanted the continued persecution of kekkei genkei, but he had his work cut out for him at the moment. He would have to quell the distrust of those with special bloodlines and make it seem as if the Kaguya's attack was an isolated incident. He did not think that would be too difficult considering the clan's past and how bloodthirsty they were.

Luckily, there were a few people that had been trying to convince him of that fact that held positions of power. They were likely to be lynched by those who were against kekkei genkei and by those who had lost loved ones by the attack, but Yagura would have to start changing his policies. The civilians were easily affected by falsification and myths, so why not tell the truth? Through this, he hoped to end the persecution.

Next would be the graduation exam. It had been instated by his predecessor as a sort of experiment and it was hoped that it would turn out stronger soldiers. Yagura did not like it when he was vying for Mizukage. It ended up reducing their overall numbers, especially since many shinobi died when they first started to attempt higher-ranking missions. Less civilians and ninja-born children would attend the academy for fear of death.

Yagura sat up from the comfy bed in the Mizukage quarters he had been given upon taking the title and went to the window, looking up at the moon in the sky. Oddly enough, it was a clear night, but it did get Yagura to ponder how his change in personality would be taken. There was some distrust when he suddenly promoted the graduation exam in the first place, after all. Should he tell his village how he was under a powerful genjutsu that was controlling him?

No. That would give out the image of a weak Kage, especially considering his container status. For a jinchuriki to reach the level of Kage was unprecedented and a seemingly weak jinchuriki Kage would demean both Kiri and any future jinchuriki. Despite his stature, Yagura was a living example of how the demon containers could be accepted, respected, and hailed as worthy leaders regardless of the rumors and myths that oftentimes formed around them.

With his better judgment returned, Yagura swore to change Kirigakure.

It would be the best revenge against the actions of that monster.

**VvVvV**

(Konoha, One Year After Kyuubi Attack)

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed as he finished reviewing the reconstruction reports on Konoha. Progress was nearly complete and Hiruzen had managed to find a suitable wet nurse for Naruto. However, Jiraiya had stated that he would return to look upon his godson sometime soon. He had been out tracking Orochimaru, but had had little luck finding the elusive Sannin traitor.

Moving onwards, there was another petition, only this one was pertaining to Naruto, or 'that _thing_' as some of the villagers had taken to calling him. The Hokage shook his head in irritation and threw the petition into the wastebasket next to his desk. There had been an attempted attack on Naruto, but the ANBU he assigned to guarding the young child and his current guardian made it clear that aggression was not tolerated. It would probably take a few more attempts before the attacks would stop. Luckily, most adults did not want anything to do with the young child and so the ANBU were not required to do much.

Hiruzen straightened as he heard a tapping on the window next to him. He opened the window, allowing entrance to one of his former students. Jiraiya gave his old sensei a toothy grin before jumping into the office.

Jiraiya was a tall man with long, waist-length, spiky white hair. He wore a horned forehead protector that had the kanji for _oil_ inscribed on it. A green short-shirt kimono with matching pants was what he had on, along with a red cloak, hand guards, and fishnet mesh armor underneath everything else. On his feet were two wooden geta that he walked with practiced ease. He carried himself straight and strong, a testament to his confidence and the power he could wield.

After an exchange of greetings, Jiraiya took to leaning against a nearby wall while folding his arms. "So, how are you liking putting the hat back on?" The Hokage blinked at the nonchalant statement.

"I am doing fine for the moment, Jiraiya. I am honestly surprised you had not dropped by earlier. Do you not want to see your own godson?" Despite the minor jab, the Sandaime knew why Jiraiya did not have the time to see or take care of his godson.

Jiraiya had the decency to wince at that. He chuckled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, sensei. You know what I've been busy doing. I've had no luck, but there were rumors sprouting of a group in Ame that is gaining power in order to wrest control from Hanzo." Hiruzen's interest was momentarily piqued as he raised an eyebrow.

Jiraiya continued, "Yeah, they call themselves Akatsuki. I'm not sure who's in the group itself, but Ame is probably going to enter a civil war. The group itself wants to end suffering, apparently." The elder Hokage nodded, prompting Jiraiya to keep speaking. "Speaking of civil wars, there's actually one going on in Kiri. It's supposed to be all hush-hush, but the Mizukage is attempting to end discrimination of kekkei genkei wielders." Hiruzen hummed in thought. He had known about Yagura's previous disposition towards the kekkei genkei wielders, but to hear it change was something else.

The Hokage folded his hands and raised them to his chin for a moment, thinking about the ramifications of Kiri's civil war. In Konoha, kekkei genkei were beloved and honored. Perhaps if Kiri ended up having a similar outlook, negotiations for trade routes could be opened, even allowing both villages to grow closer with time. If the villages did grow closer, an alliance could come to fruition.

However, it was well-known that Kumo and Iwa were both sore over the end of the latest war and having more offensive power would be helpful in steering them away from renewed conflict with Konoha. Of course, the possible relationship between Leaf and Mist could be seen as Konoha trying to exert more power and influence over a wider area of land, something which would irritate the leaders of Cloud and Stone to no end. He would have to tread carefully.

Hiruzen was cut off from his musings by Jiraiya clearing his throat. The Sandaime Hokage closed his eyes before responding, "Before you leave, promise me that you will see your godson. It is what Minato and Kushina would have wanted." Despite not seeing any indication of Jiraiya's acquiescence, the Hokage knew that his past student would listen.

"I heard that you had seen them when they died."

The Sandaime Hokage swallowed, trying to wet his throat for words that might not come. "...I did." he stated simply. Attempting to bring additional words only made the pain hurt more.

A forlorn look crossed Jiraiya's face before he walked towards the window he had previously entered from. He uttered a quick good-bye to his sensei before jumping out and heading towards where he knew Naruto would be. He would have to sneak in to see him, otherwise his visit would raise suspicion.

After all, why would a shinobi of Jiraiya's fame and caliber want to visit that '_thing_'?

**VvVvV**

(Amekagure, Three Years After Kyuubi Attack on Konoha)

Hanzo collapsed to the ground, numerous injuries marring his body. Three people watched him fall before they started to tend to their own injuries. One of them, a pale woman with an origami paper flower in her blue hair, looked to have the least amount of damage done to her. As she tended to a slightly tanned man with spiky orange hair, her gray eyes flickered over to another man with long, flowing red hair. His own injuries were steadily knitting together, far quicker than would be considered normal. His gray-purple eyes, containing the concentric rings of a legendary doujutsu, met hers, and he gave her a tentative smile.

"We... we did it," the orange-haired man said.

"We can finally start your dream, Yahiko," the blue-haired woman added.

"Our dream, Konan. Our dream," the red-haired one finished.

The battle itself had been intense and each of them had nearly died on several occasions. It was only thanks to Konan's special mastery over paper that she had been able to distract Hanzo enough to stop him from focusing on her friends. Yahiko's mastery of water jutsu helped keep _Ibuse_, Hanzo's gigantic summoned salamander, from launching surprise attacks by making it clear where it would pop up through the waterlogged soil.

The red-haired Nagato was the one who dealt the finishing blow through manipulation of gravity. Even then, the large, gas-mask wearing man had stood up, congratulated the three, and told them that he respected their power moments before falling. Around the demolished battlefield were craters, small pockets of water, and bodies of both Akatsuki's members and Hanzo's men. Quite a few of Akatsuki's members had retreated after the majority of their opponents were killed, thus allowing the main three to team up and defeat Hanzo.

Yahiko stood up and glanced down at Konan before helping her up. He gave Nagato a large grin and sauntered over to him with a slight limp. "I suppose it's time we contact Jiraiya-sensei, right? He might be interested in our grand adventures," Yahiko joked with a flourish of his right arm.

"You're going to end up exaggerating everything we do, Yahiko," Konan remarked with a wry smile.

Nagato, on the other hand, remained quiet. With Amegakure free from Hanzo's militaristic regime, he was one step closer to achieving Yahiko's- _Akatsuki's_- dream. The Ame trio wanted their village to remain neutral until some of the unrest was quelled. No one would seriously challenge them since they were able to best Hanzo, but they would need to make changes once they were accepted by the majority of the village. Afterward, with Amegakure stabilized, Nagato would begin advocating the ideals he had come to cultivate when Akatsuki was first formed.

_If there is such a thing as peace_, Nagato thought, _I will find it._

**VvVvV**

(Konoha, Eight Years After Kyuubi Attack)

Uchiha Fugaku was annoyed. Eight years, _eight years_ of dealing with the suspicion of the council towards his own clan was starting to grate on his nerves. In all honesty, he was amazed he had held out for so long. Apparently, Mikoto had been able to slightly temper him.

From his seat in his home where a clan meeting was held, Fugaku snorted as he waited for the members to take their seats. He noted that Itachi was actually present for this particular meeting. Idly, he wondered if that meant that Itachi had something to report for once. Fugaku also noticed Shishui taking a seat next to Itachi.

Once the most powerful and influential members of the Uchiha Clan were settled, Fugaku cleared his throat and stood up, his onyx eyes sweeping across the room while he wore his characteristic frown. "I believe you all know why we are here. Ever since that _attack_ eight years ago, we have been held in suspicion, despite the strength our presence grants the Hidden Leaf.

"Perhaps it is time for the Uchiha to retaliate. Should Konoha realize the power we wield? The influence we exert? How strong we make the village itself? What should we do, brothers?" Fugaku finished with a grandiose sweep of his arm. The meeting room erupted in chaos, various members stating their agreement or wary disagreement. Itachi and Shishui exchanged glances and waited for the members to quiet down.

One of the clan members, Yashiro, decided to speak up. "Fugaku, should we really go through with this? It will, undoubtedly, cause grievous losses to both the village and our clan." With Konoha weakened, enemy villages would descend upon them like vultures. It would end in the destruction of Konoha.

Murmurs of assent rippled through the gathered clan members before Fugaku responded. "Do you not remember what occurred after the Kyuubi Attack? We were moved nearer to the edge of the village for matters that we had no power over! Should we not end these transgressions?"

More murmuring, before a member mentioned possible rejection even if the coup d'etat succeeded. Such an action would, as Yashiro stated, cause heavy losses to Konoha and the Uchiha. As such, opposition would surface and those who had lost loved ones and friends during the coup would harbor ill-will towards the Uchiha. With the members currently divided upon which action to choose, Itachi choose to rise from his seat, garnering the attention of his fellow clan members.

"Otou-sama, I have information that might interest you." Fugaku gave his eldest son, the pride of their clan, a hard look before giving him the floor. Itachi continued, "With the duties you assigned me, I was able to glean knowledge of the Hokage's actions." Fugaku's eyes gleamed in triumph and he opened his mouth to speak-

"He plans to issue a formal apology for the apprehension of his advisers and to return to us our traditional clan grounds." Itachi's declaration shocked Fugaku into staring at him with his jaw hanging. It was a comical sight, really.

Fugaku began to protest until Shishui asserted that Itachi's word was sound and reminded the clan that they had a duty to their own and to their village. Itachi was simply doing both in an attempt to avert needless chaos and death. In addition, Shishui brought the Hokage's past actions to light- the Sandaime had been attempting to reach out to the Uchiha, but was subverted or ignored by his advisers and the Uchiha, respectively.

The opinions of the members quickly went towards avoiding an internal war after a brief discussion. Although many did not completely believe Itachi, Fugaku had decided to call for an audience with the Hokage.

"Hey, aniki, why are you so happy? You've had that dumb look on your face ever since you picked me up."

Itachi brought onyx orbs down upon his younger brother, who was smirking at his previous jab. Itachi gave Sasuke a soft smile before replying, "It is nothing, outouto. Come on, kaa-san should have some food for us."

Sasuke hurried ahead of Itachi towards what would soon be their ex-clan grounds. The Hokage, as he had told Itachi beforehand, had been completely honest. Itachi was, in effect, double-crossing the Uchiha as he was spying for the Hokage under the guise of spying for his clan. Itachi believed the situation would escalate, but the Sandaime had imprinted upon him a special piece of information and then implored Itachi to pass on a message to his father.

While the situation was resolved, there was still some tension, but it was likely to fade with time. His father had accepted the formal apology and had admitted (Itachi still couldn't believe his father had done that) to having thoughts about attempting a coup, which was waved off by the Sandaime, despite the insistence of his advisers for deeper questioning.

The Hokage had simply said that he trusted Fugaku.


	2. Introductions

**A/N: Some people **may be wondering the differences in personality. Well, you know, things change, especially considering the premise of this story.**  
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*****Just so readers know, this chapter was written before _Road to Ninja _was known, so Sakura's parents will obviously be different.****

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><p>Chapter Two: Introductions<p>

(Konoha Academy)

A boy with spiky blonde hair and an orange jumpsuit that was considered to be a crime in fashion by many people plopped onto his seat at the academy. His blue eyes were wide open and he had a smile on his face. He had received his forehead protector from his academy sensei the night before and felt like he was ready to take on the Elemental Nations themselves.

Unfortunately, he had also just learned a dark secret regarding his past. After returning the Forbidden Scroll he had stolen back to the Hokage, he had asked for more clarification on what he had learned.

'Asked' wouldn't be the term the Hokage would use. It was more like Naruto pestered him until he coughed up more information regarding the blonde jinchuriki's status. It was rather comedic since essentially a twelve year old _academy student_ had managed to convince the strongest shinobi in Konoha to essentially dump any and all information regarding jinchuriki... that wasn't classified.

And so, Naruto, in a moment of shock to many people, went into the library against the wishes of some of the civilian regulars. He tried to find out as much as he could about the history of jinchuriki and what they contained within.

He ended up leaving the library feeling very, very disappointed. There were very few books or scrolls on jinchuriki, but the most he could glean from what he had read was a small definition of what he was. Jinchuriki were essentially _sacrifices_ made for the sake of the village, by the village, in order to be used against other villages. They were sacrificed to hold within them Biju, or large, Tailed-Beasts capable of great destruction. He just so happened to have the strongest of them all sealed within his very being.

At least he knew why most of the civilian adults and a few of the older shinobi hated him. His question was: should _he_ hate the village?

Naruto couldn't come up with an answer to that. Iruka-sensei and Hokage-jiji were two people who were important in his life and saw him for what he was: a young shinobi wanting to prove himself to the people around him. Iruka-sensei even acknowledged him as himself and not as a gigantic, red-furred fox of unlimited power.

The Hokage had also clarified the law that was placed to protect him. At the very least, Naruto realized, he had a chance to befriend his graduating class. They just saw him as an annoying prankster, which was much better than being referred to as a _thing_.

The young blonde gazed around the room. Many of his fellow students had passed the exam. He, on the other hand, had failed three times. He had only passed through a technicality, but apparently creating hundreds of solid clones was enough to satisfy the Bunshin, or clone, requirement of the exam.

Oh, and stopping a traitor attempting to steal the secret techniques of Konohagakure. That helped too, he guessed.

That night had both filled Naruto with pride and confusion. Pride because he was able to do something that, according to Iruka-sensei, was nearly impossible by almost every single shinobi in existence; confusion because he was tricked by what he thought was a trustworthy academy instructor. However, the night had ended with him returning the scroll and having all the shinobi tracking him called off. He had also ended up with Iruka's forehead protector, much to his delight.

There was then some clamoring at the door. Two girls, Ino and Sakura, barged in, trying to claim the seat that was nearest to _Sasuke-kun's_ chair. Uchiha Sasuke, the 'top-of-the-class' and second upcoming Uchiha prodigy.

Uchiha Sasuke was a quiet and pleasant-mannered boy. He had a blue shirt with a raised color that had the Uchiha fan embroidered on it, along with arm warmers and white shorts. The outfit was completed with shinobi sandals, with bandages that ran from his ankle to slightly below his knee. Naruto had only spoken with him whenever they sparred, but he was a good sport and oftentimes gave him words of advice afterward.

Naruto stood up with a wide smile plastered on his face and he was about to greet his precious Sakura-chan... until she punched him in the face in an attempt to get a seat next to Sasuke. Before he landed face-first into the ground, he thought a quick "why me?". Of course, he perked right up to try and convince the pink-haired girl that he was just as good as Sasuke.

Sakura disagreed, quite violently. _Again_. She had managed to snag the seat next to Sasuke, much to Ino's irritation, and began trying to engage him in small-talk. Sasuke complied, if only to have something to do until the teams were assigned. His attempts to steer the topic away from relationships didn't work so well.

Naruto sighed and sat down next to Sakura. _Ignored again_, he thought. He knew getting people to accept him would be difficult, especially considering how bad his grades were in the academy (it wasn't his fault the classes were so boring!) and how often he pranked people around the village. He watched Iruka-sensei enter the class and begin reading out the teams. The tall, brown-haired chunin with a scar across his nose began to read...

...And Naruto began to doze off. Who cared about everyone else? He just wanted to know which team he was in.

"Team Seven is going to be Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura-" Naruto stood up in glee at this while Sakura groaned, "-and Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto winced while Sakura cheered and decided to scream her victory to Ino. It wasn't that he did not want Sasuke on his team, it was just that Sakura was extremely infatuated to the Uchiha... which made his chances of getting a date with her really, really low.

Iruka continued to read out the teams. Once he was done, a reminder was put out about the jounin-sensei's of each team. Their new instructors would swing by shortly, take their assigned teams, and evaluate them. The evaluation was dependent on the jounin and would determine whether or not the students would become fully-fledged genin, or be forced back to the academy for remedial training.

Not that anyone knew that they would be evaluated. It was a sort of nasty surprise that every jounin enjoyed breaking to their students. Of course, not every evaluation would have the jounin punt their cute little genin back and forth. Some would be skill demonstrations, tactical demonstrations, that sort of thing.

Students began to leave the room in groups of three, picked up by their jounin-sensei. The room steadily cleared out until Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were the only three left. Iruka had taken a glance at their assigned jounin-sensei, laughed, and left, having other preoccupations. The three genin left in the class wondered why their old academy instructor laughed at them before leaving.

And waited.

And waited some more. By the time Hatake Kakashi, a tall, masked man with white, spiked hair, showed up, he saw one Uchiha Sasuke attempting to stop one Uzumaki Naruto from constructing a simple prank. His casual observations caused his soon-to-be genin to stop and gaze upon him. He promptly, yet somehow lazily, told them to meet him on the roof of the academy before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

**VvVvV**

(Academy Roof)

Team Seven's jounin-sensei was fiddling with his flak-jacket while he waited for the freshly minted genin to sit down. He cleared his throat before speaking, "So, since we're going to be a team, I think it would be a good idea for some introductions."

"What do you mean by that, sensei?" Naruto said. His face was scrunched up in an admittedly cute fashion. Kakashi wondered if that was his thinking face and whether or not he would short-circuit.

"You know, your likes, dislikes, hobbies, goals and your name. Just tell us about yourself," he replied, giving his new students an eye-smile. The pink-haired one, Sakura, asked that he provide an example. So, he decided to comply. "My name is Hatake Kakashi... I do like certain things, but I don't feel like telling you my dislikes. I guess I have some hobbies and maybe a goal, like any other person would."

All three genin gave him a deadpan look. They all had the same thought running through their head at that moment: _this_ is an elite ninja of Konoha? When Kakashi noticed none of them were taking the initiative, he pointed at Naruto and asked him to introduce himself.

Naruto enthusiastically did so. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I love ramen! I dislike how long it takes for a cup ramen to be ready. I also dislike..." he trailed off here, muttering something about "people who can't tell the difference between a kunai and the scroll it's sealed in" before continuing, "I guess my hobby would be pranking people, although Iruka-sensei told me to stop once I graduated. My goal is to become Hokage so I can have the village acknowledge my existence!" Naruto finished with a smirk plastered to his confident face. Kakashi found the entire thing rather obvious, except for his jab towards the villagers. The Hokage had told him Naruto knew about his status and had looked up on it some more, but that was about it.

Kakashi nodded at Naruto before jerking a thumb at Sakura, "You next, pinky."

Sakura huffed at the name before answering, "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like..." she turned to Sasuke and giggled, her face turning the color of her hair, "My hobbies and goals..." yet again, she turned to Sasuke and giggled. Sasuke rolled his eyes at this and groaned. Damned fangirls; hopefully she would change as time went by.

"I think... I hate Naruto-baka!" she finished, pointing a finger at said blonde-haired boy. The boy flinched as an emotion flashed through his face before he adopted a shit-eating grin and waved off Sakura's comment.

Kakashi glanced at Naruto, having caught the previous expression on his face. He turned to Sasuke expectantly. Sasuke took a breath before speaking, "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like tomatoes and my family. I dislike the high expectations people place on me. I guess my hobbies would be training and hanging out with my brother. My goal is to become a shinobi worthy of my clan's attention."

Kakashi nodded to himself. All three had mostly been what he was expecting. So, it was time to scare them. "All right. Before we begin training and missions, there's one more test you all need to complete."

At this, Naruto cried out to the sky, Sakura raised a demure eyebrow, and Sasuke remained silent. "It's a special test... a survival mission. It will determine whether or not you become genin for real, or get sent back to the academy. Of the students who graduate from the exam, sixty-six percent will fail and return for remedial instruction."

With this, Kakashi gave each genin a sheet of paper before finishing up his explanation, ignoring their looks of shock. "These papers will tell you where to go and how to prepare. Oh, and don't eat breakfast or you'll throw up."

Then he vanished in another puff of smoke, leaving three very dumb-founded genin. One began to cry in agony at the fact that there was another test to go through. Another decided to ask her parents if they had any more information about it, despite them being civilians. The last decided to try and pester his brother for additional information. Then they all split up, going their separate ways.

**VvVvV**

(Uchiha Clan Residence)

Sasuke entered his home, which was pretty large compared to the rest of the compound. The Hokage had let his clan move back to their ancestral homes after issuing an apology to his father for some reason. He wasn't sure why, but his brother had told him that the outcome was incredibly lucky and that he should be thankful. Thankful for what, Itachi wouldn't say.

His mother, Uchiha Mikoto, a woman of medium height with light skin, black eyes, and dark brown hair, was cooking some food for him and his father. He found out that Itachi was out on some mission as an ANBU Captain and would not be returning for a few days. So, Sasuke pulled up a chair to a nearby table, waiting for his mother to ask him about his new sensei.

The Clan Head's home was far more western than other Uchiha homes. Since they came into a lot of money, both from the clan itself and his father's status, Sasuke's mother was able to make their home a bit different than the stiff traditional ideas the other homes had. Uchiha Fugaku, Sasuke's father, did not mind either way and Itachi welcomed the change.

Mikoto turned to her youngest son, clad in a dark purple dress and brown apron. She gave him a smile before asking him about his day, "So, Sasuke-kun, how was your day today? Who is your new sensei? Who are your new teammates?"

Sasuke was resting his chin on his interlocked fingers. In hindsight, he realized, his team might not mesh so well together. Naruto was loud and obnoxious, but he was funny at times. Both he and Sakura wore brightly-colored clothing and had bright hair (seriously, sun yellow and pink?), which tended to make you easier to spot while on a mission- not something that was smart. Sakura was much too attracted to him to honestly be an asset to the team.

Sasuke's mother raised an eyebrow at his blank face. He blinked a few times when he noticed this and began to speak, "Sorry, kaa-san. It's just that our team mixes as well as oil and water. Hatake Kakashi is the jounin-sensei of Team Seven, at least for now. He said that we might have to go back to the academy for remedial training if we fail his test tomorrow." Sasuke gave his mother a questioning look upon finishing his statement, which earned a giggle from his mother.

"Sorry, but I can't really help you with that. I'm not even sure what the test is; all jounin-sensei's give their own variation on them." Sasuke groaned. He didn't like being left in the dark. Being a good ninja meant being well-informed, but with Kakashi's test being an unknown, he would have to assume that the jounin was expecting something from his team.

Which was already known. He couldn't really draw any other conclusions since Kakashi had already explained as much of it as he apparently could. Sasuke was again cut from musings by his mother, who asked him who his teammates were.

"Oh, my teammates are Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. Both of them are loud and wear bright colors." Mikoto did not know who Haruno Sakura was or who her parents were, so she might have been a civilian. Uzumaki Naruto though...

Uzumaki Naruto was no doubt the son of her old friend, the late Uzumaki Kushina. Her heart went out to the boy, but the Uchiha were under suspicion for quite a while and she offering to take him in would probably raise suspicion back to the point where the clan was planning a coup. Fugaku had no qualms about the boy and most of the Uchiha did not either. But, with him being the clan head and the Uchiha being a major clan of Konoha, their hands were tied on the matter.

The only annoying thing about him was that his pranks occasionally caused the Konoha Military Police Force trouble, usually in the way of document mix-ups, laxatives in their coffee, and graffiti. The Hokage had made him clean up and apologize for most of the pranks, with Umino Iruka taking over once Naruto entered that particular class.

"Hey, kaa-san," Sasuke said, jerking Mikoto out of her own reverie, "Do you think Kakashi-sensei is a good teacher? He was three hours late to pick us up today and didn't really tell us anything about himself."

Mikoto blanched. He was still doing that? All powerful shinobi had their eccentricities, but a jounin-sensei's students should take priority. If he was late to their first meeting, it was likely that he would be late to the rest of them too. Still, Mikoto was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Sasuke," she began, "If Hatake Kakashi keeps showing up late to your team meetings or missions, tell me." She finished with a sickly-sweet smile that send shivers down Sasuke's spine. He bobbed his head up and down in agreement.

_Damn,_ he thought, _Kaa-san can be scary when she needs to._

**VvVvV**

(Haruno Residence)

"Hey mom, dad! I'm home."

Sakura entered her house and closed the door behind her, locking it as she did so. She did not come from any formal kind of clan or a shinobi family. She was just a civilian with a civilian family that wanted something more in life.

Or so she said. In reality, she wanted to keep up with Yamanaka Ino and to get Uchiha Sasuke to acknowledge and fall in love with her. No way was she losing out to any other girls with him on her team!

Sakura's mother was a short, kind-looking woman with pink hair. Her eyes were brown and she wore a blue dress with a white apron on it. She was in the kitchen, where her husband was waiting patiently for their dinner. Sakura's father was a tall man with light brown hair and emerald-green eyes. He was wearing a casual white t-shirt and green shorts, signifying he was down working for the day and just wanted to relax with his family. Both Haruno Ayaka and Haruno Hideki had never had any shinobi in their families.

Imagine their surprise when their only child came home from playing one day and resolutely said that she wanted to be a ninja. They cautioned her that it would be dangerous, but she shrugged off all of their warnings. In order not to restrain her learning, her parents reluctantly agreed to let her start attending the academy, despite their misgivings.

Hideki turned to his daughter as she skipped into the dining room. He chuckled at her behavior before asking her about her day.

Hideki and Ayaka were subjected to the rantings of a pre-teen girl regarding her "lifelong love" and that of her old friend, Ino. They were a bit irritated that their daughter had broken up a friendship over a boy, but they supposed all girls were like that at her age. They just hoped it wouldn't get the better of her.

Hideki and Ayaka were then told about Sakura's new team and sensei. While they were surprised that she was on Uchiha Sasuke's team, they also reacted with trepidation towards the news that Uzumaki Naruto was also on the team. Sakura noticed their moods shift and decided to ask about it.

"Hey mom, dad. Why are you guys acting so... _angry_ that Naruto-baka is on my team?" Her parents glanced at each other, feeling annoyed that they couldn't tell her the truth about that _thing_.

"Sakura, honey... we... want you to be careful around Uzumaki Naruto," her father cautioned. Sakura adopted a confused expression. Careful? Around Naruto, of all people? Sure he pranked the civilians and shinobi of Konoha, but surely that wouldn't warrant caution.

Sakura decided to voice her thoughts, "Umm, why? Naruto's harmless. Is it because he pranks people?" she shrugged, "I doubt he'd prank me anyway." Considering how much he liked her, he would no doubt not want to annoy her for fear of losing out on the chance of taking her out on a date.

Her mother began serving the food before she sat down. "Sakura, if that boy... does anything that would be considered questionable or downright dangerous, please tell us. Although your jounin-sensei might be there to protect you, I want you to tell us anything he does."

Sakura blinked at this. Why were her parents treating Naruto like some kind of criminal? Had he ever done anything to them before? She couldn't remember any pranks ever happening to her family. Most of them were meant to bring attention to Naruto or target a wide range of people. He rarely ever did single-target pranks- those were usually aimed specifically towards Iruka-sensei.

The pink-haired kunoichi shrugged off her thoughts and dug into her meal. Afterward, she would ask them if they knew anything about her sensei's test that would occur the following day.

**VvVvV**

(Konoha, Ramen Ichiraku)

Naruto entered his favorite restaurant in Konoha for an evening meal. He was exhausted after running around all day thinking about his jounin-sensei's words and so he needed to refuel. In his usual boisterous manner, Naruto shouted out "three bowls of Miso, old man, and keep 'em coming!" before plopping down on a stool. Once the bowls were delivered, Naruto began to consume them at a breakneck pace.

He was eating so quickly that he didn't even notice Iruka calling to him. In fact, he didn't even notice Iruka sit down next to him and order a bowl of ramen for himself. It was only after he finished his second bowl of Miso Ramen and at Ayame's exasperated shout that he noticed his old academy teacher. "Oi! Iruka-sensei, when did you get here?" Naruto murmured, his mouth full of ramen noodles. Iruka simply chuckled before reprimanding him on his table manners, eliciting a giggle from Ayame before she went to serve other customers.

Most customers avoided Ichiraku's due to Naruto's presence, so the customers that stayed were either shinobi who weren't idiots, or civilians who were more tolerant of his existence. Naruto didn't mind as long as they weren't vocal towards him.

"Well, Naruto? Are you going to tell me what happened with your jounin-sensei? I'm sorry that I had to leave before he picked you and your team up." Iruka broke his chopsticks and muttered a quick "itadakimasu" before beginning to slurp up his own ramen.

Naruto snorted at that. "Kakashi-sensei was like three hours late, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka chuckled before replying, "Hatake Kakashi is an exceptional shinobi, Naruto. He used to be an ANBU Captain so I'm sure he'll teach you a lot cool jutsu. You know he's failed all of his previously assigned teams, right?"

"WHAT?" Naaruto screamed in surprise. "Are you kidding me?" Iruka shook his head in the negative before slurping up some more noodles. Naruto grinned widely before holding his fist out in the air, "Then I'll be the first genin he passes! Believe it, Iruka-sensei! His test tomorrow will be a piece of cake!" Iruka grinned at his old student. _He's never lacking in determination, that's for sure_, he thought.

"Say, Naruto... what were you doing over the past few days? I didn't get the chance to ask you before."

Naruto grinned widely (yet again) before heartily replying that he was in the library. This caused several things to happen: First, Iruka's jaw dropped in shock. Second, Ayame stumbled and dropped the bowl she was carrying to the sink. And third, Teuchi outright laughed. All three of these reactions made Naruto stick out his lower lip and pout, wholeheartedly asserting that he was smarter than everyone thought.

Iruka recovered his composure before speaking again, "Why were you in library Naruto?" Ayame and Teuchi were also curious about his reasons, so they both leaned in to listen while there was a coincidental lull in customers. The twisted grimace that adorned Naruto's face looked so alien that all three of his listeners frowned.

After a pause, Naruto responded a lowered voice, "Well, Hokage-jiji told me about his law, right? So... because we all know my secret..." he trailed off, looking unsure of himself. Ayame tilted her head to the side and prompted Naruto to continue. She and her father did not hold anything against him. He was like a member of their family- a member of the family that was so cheerful and hyperactive that you couldn't _not_ like him.

Naruto finally found his voice and continued, "I decided to look up anything I could find about what I am and if there are any other people like me. There wasn't much information at all, except that there are possibly eight other people like me."

"Why did you do that, Naruto-kun?"Ayame asked.

Naruto shrugged at the question. "I don't know. I guess I kind of wanted to see if there were people like me. People like me who are acknowledged. I don't want anyone to go through what I have."

Iruka nodded at his answer. "Naruto, I think it's very noble of you to want that. Helping a person is a very good thing if you ask me."

Naruto finished up his fifth Miso Ramen in response before paying. Teuchi gave him a small discount before shooing him away, with Ayame wishing him good luck on his test. Iruka also paid for his two bowls of ramen before catching up with Naruto, opting to walk him home.

"Say, Iruka-sensei... have you ever known anyone that was _like_ me?" Naruto's enunciation made it clear he was still on the previous topic.

Iruka searched his memories, but did not recall anyone like his old student. "I'm sorry Naruto, but I haven't. I suppose if you become a great shinobi and go on a lot of missions, you might be able to find others like you. What will you do then?"

With that, Iruka dropped Naruto off at his shabby apartment building before waving goodbye and wishing good luck for the next day. Naruto unlocked and entered his apartment before locking it and looking around. With a quick Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone), he cleaned up his apartment in no time at all. He ended up going to his bed and thinking about the question Iruka had left him with.

If he did meet any other jinchuriki, what would they be like? Would they be accepted by their villages? Would they consider themselves as people? As monsters? Perhaps even as weapons to be used by their villages? Would they have anything common with him?

And then what? If he did meet other jinchuriki, what would he do? Walk up, say a hearty greeting, and hope they wouldn't attack him on sight? Shinobi from other villages were usually wary of foreigners.

Naruto closed his eyes, deep in thought. He didn't have an answer for any of these things. He would have to meet one first, if he ever did. Eight other people were like him. What would be the chances that he would meet one of those eight people?

With these thoughts circulating in his head, Naruto fell asleep, completely forgetting about his jounin-sensei's words of advice.

**VvVvV**

(Next Day, Training Field 3)

Hatake Kakashi looked over at his three little cute baby genin. Each had a backpack filled with supplies, as per the rules on the flier he had given them. They did not have food in them, so he would be able to annoy them with his little survival mission.

He was also three hours late, which made Sakura and Naruto scream "You're late!" in unison. The lazy jounin told them a small story about how he was lost on the road of life, black cat and all. All three of his genin glared at him for his feeble excuse. He took it in stride and walked over to a nearby stump before setting a timer on it.

Noticing the confused looks of his students, he gave them all an eye-smile before exclaiming, "Welcome to Kakashi-sensei's evaluation exam. In this exam, you all have one thing to do-" Kakashi took out two silver bells, "-and that is to get these bells from me. If you can snag a bell, you pass this mission and get to stay on this team. There are only two bells, so whoever doesn't get one will be sent back to the academy."

Kakashi took great pleasure in watching his students' eyes widen. Then he heard rumbles from Sasuke and Sakura. They seemed to listen to orders well enough.

Naruto's stomach seemed to be silent. "Ah, so you're all feeling hungry, right? Well, let me explain something more about the mission." At that, Kakashi brought out two bento's and placed them near three training posts. "Whoever gets a bell gets _lunch_ in addition to passing. I bet you're all wishing you ate breakfast right now, right?"

Sasuke and Sakura both growled in annoyance. Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly before saying, "Eh, Kakashi-sensei, I was talking to Iruka-sensei and we ended up getting so caught in our conversation that I kind of forgot not to eat breakfast..."

Kakashi glared at Naruto, letting a trickle of killing intent out for good measure. "For now, I'll let disobeying a direct order from a superior go. Don't do it again." The blonde genin paled and gulped in response. Kakashi decided to wrap his explanation up and continued in a much lighter tone of voice, "Anyway, you are all going to fail if you don't come at me with the intent to kill. Remember, a bell equals a ticket into both your career and lunch. You have until noon. That's what the timer is for."

"Uhm, Kakashi-sensei? What if we hurt you?" Sakura asked. Sasuke nearly snorted in laughter. Three genin? Hurting a jounin like him? Yeah, no. Never going to happen.

Kakashi seemed to agree. "What can three pathetic genin do to an elite jounin such as I?"

He ignored Naruto's angered ramblings. "You know," Kakashi drawled, "The loudest ones usually have the least talent. You're a ninja, aren't you?" The jounin seemed to be subtly hinting something, which Sasuke and Sakura noticed. They both took off, deciding to hide themselves.

_Good,_ Kakashi thought, _They seem to have an idea of how a ninja should act_.

Naruto did not. The Kyuubi jinchuriki decided that facing off an elite jounin of Konoha, alone and in plain sight, was somehow a good idea. "Come at me, Kakashi-sensei! I'll show you what Uzumaki Naruto can do!"

Kakashi sighed and reached into a pouch on the back of his shinobi pants. Naruto tensed, believing his opponent was going to take out a weapon.

After snapping the bells to his pants, Kakashi took out his favorite orange book, which contained a myriad of pornographic material. Naruto gave his sensei a deadpan look. "Oi, Kakashi sensei!" Kakashi tilted his head to acknowledge Naruto's shout. "Why are you reading a book?"

"I want to find out what happens next," he said, giggling slightly as he turned a page.

That just got Naruto enraged, and an enraged shinobi was a dead shinobi in most situations. Luckily, this was not most situations. Naruto screamed and ran to engage his jounin-sensei, much to the displeasure of both Sasuke and Sakura, who were safely hidden away from the battlefield.

**VvVvV**

Naruto kept looking around warily for Team Seven's jounin-sensei. He had already eaten breakfast before he had come to Training Field 3, so he had offered to watch for their sensei while his two teammates pilfered some food.

Initially, Sakura was against the idea of breaking the rules, but Naruto had insisted. Sasuke had also agreed. After all, if Kakashi-sensei was more powerful than them anyway, then they might as well eat some food in order to attempt to gain back some energy.

Naruto had been defeated first, obviously. He had been trounced in taijutsu and then had his shadow clones handily destroyed. He ended up falling into a trap after being handily defeated.

Sakura fainted from a D-rank genjutsu.

Sasuke fell shortly afterward by being buried up to his head by one of Kakashi's jutsu.

Once Sakura had woken up, retrieved Naruto, and dug up Sasuke, the three decided to try and work together. However, Naruto had heard their stomachs grumble angrily and so told them to jack the bento's. They had a clear shot, Naruto had clones, and he wasn't hungry. So he played watchdog while his teammates ate their fill.

As Sasuke and Sakura were finishing the bento's Kakashi had placed, there was a puff of smoke and an irate-looking Kakashi had appeared, complete with killing intent and a glare that looked like it could burn them alive. "So... you all disobeyed a direct order from your superior? This is treason, you know..."

All three genin jumped into air in surprise, gazing at the enraged jounin in fright. Kakashi leaned in class, cracking his knuckles as he did so, and...

"You three all pass!"

Shock was evident. And then a small amount of joy. And then Naruto began shouting in triumph. Sasuke and Sakura exhaled in relief. One wanted to continue proving himself while the other didn't want to be separated from her true love. Sakura was confused, though.

"Kakashi-sensei, why did we pass? We didn't get any of the bells," Sakura asked, confusion clearly showing on her face.

Kakashi turned his half-lidded eye to the pink-haired genin and then gave her an eye-smile. "The point of this evaluation was to show teamwork. No sane person will expect three new genin to take on a jounin and win. The idea was to pool your abilities together and attempt to get a bell. In this way, you would demonstrate that you value a fellow Konoha shinobi as a comrade.

"However, it is also a good idea," Kakashi said, fixing Naruto with a stern look, "to follow the orders of your superiors. Those who abandon the rules are trash. But, those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. Team Seven displayed excellent teamwork, although you did have a rocky start. Give yourselves the rest of the day off. Tomorrow, we will start our missions."

The three actual genin nodded in exuberance before taking off in three separate directions.


	3. Beginnings

**A/N: Remember, this is only chapter three. Give Naruto some time. If there are any errors, please let me know. Leave a review! Criticism is always nice.  
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><p>Chapter Three: Beginnings<p>

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, was sitting at his desk in the Hokage Tower, attempting to vanquish the pile of paperwork that was sitting on his desk. Most of it was either geared towards Konoha's budget or offered suggestions for new laws. Some were petitions, while others were diplomatic files.

The Hokage was about to finish stamping a petition regarding new textbooks for the ninja academy when Naruto burst through the door. An apologetic-looking secretary was right behind him. Hiruzen waved the secretary away, deciding to grant Naruto an audience (and him a well-earned break).

"So Naruto," the Hokage began, "To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here?" Naruto's face was scrunched up in a foxy grin, with him excitedly tapping his forehead protector.

"Guess what, old man? I passed Kakashi-sensei's test! I'm a genin for real now, so you better be ready to hand over that hat!" Naruto bounced on the balls of his feet, his excitement over being a genin bubbling within his small body.

Hiruzen smiled at the young boy in front of him, chuckling as he did so. "You know Naruto, it takes a lot more hard work and dedication to become Hokage." It also took a lot more patience for that _damned_ pile of paperwork.

Naruto nodded in response, "Yeah, yeah! Don't worry Hokage-jiji, I'll work hard! But, what should I work on first? I need to get strong really fast!" The Sandaime rolled his eyes at Naruto's repeated exuberance.

"Naruto, you need to learn from your jounin-sensei first. It's been one day since you've met him. Wait a month or two before you ask me for help and only if your sensei isn't helping very much." Naruto pouted but ended up complying. You couldn't blame him for asking the Hokage for help. What better ninja to learn from than the strongest shinobi in the village?

Suddenly, the office door swung open and a young, screaming child with a long scarf ran out, holding a blunted kunai. The child tripped over his own scarf and fell to the ground, eliciting a groan from the Sandaime. "Ouch... who knocked me over? I was going to take the old man's seat!" The boy quickly stood up and pointed at one of the only two people in the room, which happened to be Naruto. "You! You pushed me down! How dare you attack me, y-"

Naruto bopped him in the head before yelling at him, "Stupid boy! You tripped on your own scarf! And no way can you match the old man! Only I'll be able to match him!" The boy rubbed his head, glancing up at the blonde ninja who had hit him in the head.

"You can't hit me! I'm the honorable grandson of the Hokage!" It was a tactic the boy used whenever he got in trouble. Most of the time it would force people to swallow their anger and let him do as he pleased, but it never realy worked on the chunin teachers in the academy. Umino Iruka was one of the teachers who was completely immune to it, much to the boy's chagrin.

Naruto's response was to smack him in the back of his head again. "I don't care! Stop being a brat and go bother other people!" The boy was staring as Naruto walked out of the room, giving the Hokage a farewell as he went.

**VvVvV**

Naruto was running through the streets, intent on getting a hearty meal of ramen. Restrictive nutrition or not, ramen was the chow of gods. Anyone who appreciated food would appreciate the many flavors of ramen.

Naruto briefly wondered if Sakura or Sasuke liked ramen. They were a team, so he might as well take them out to Ichiraku's after they were done with their meetings. Maybe he could get closer to them, despite the trouble he had had with Sakura. Maybe they could become friends?

And then maybe he could get his precious Sakura-chan to go out on a date with him...

He nodded to himself while wearing a silly grin before setting off to get some ramen. He passed an odd-looking rock before stopping and back-tracking. He peered closely at the rock before kicking it and loudly exclaiming, "Rocks don't have eye-holes! I know you're there, reveal yourself!"

The rock flipped over in a flashy manner and Naruto recognized the boy from the Hokage's office. "Just what I would expect from my new sensei!" The boy proclaimed, his hands balled and his eyes shining.

Naruto gave the boy a confused look before responding, "Sensei? What? I'm a shinobi of Konoha! I need to be training, not teaching brats!"

The boy continued on, unperturbed, "Come on, boss! Train me! You're the first person to recognize me as Konohamaru instead of the Hokage's grandson!" Naruto noticed that the boy- Konohamaru, he said- was kind of like him. He wanted people to see him as himself, not as what he represented. It was enough to get Naruto to seriously listen to him. Although, he was still only a genin and probably couldn't teach Konohamaru much. Naruto had to train himself, first of all.

"I can't train you, Konohamaru. You need an actual instructor! I have to get ready for tomorrow since my jounin-sensei will teach me all sorts of jutsu. Don't you have a sensei or something?"

Konohamaru made a disgusted look before whining about his sensei. The man was overprotective, but Naruto reminded the younger boy that he _was_ the Hokage's grandson. That probably warranted some additional sort of protection. Coincidentally, Ebisu himself popped up as the two boys continued talking.

"There you are, honorable grandson!" Ebisu said. He was a somewhat tall man with the standard Konoha shinobi outfit, along with wearing his forehead protector as bandana. Covering his brown eyes were sunglasses. Ebisu took one look at Naruto and scoffed, "Konohamaru-kun, you should not be out with such unappealing company!"

"What? Why? He's my new sensei!" Konohamaru responded, ignoring Naruto's bouts of denial. Then Naruto realized Ebisu bad-mouthed him, in an... eloquent sort of way.

"Hey! I could totally beat you!" Naruto shouted. "Come on! Sexy no Jutsu!" Where there was once Naruto, a buxom, beautiful blonde woman appeared, clinging to Ebisu in an effort to get a rise out of him.

"W-What is this? Stop this inappropriate technique at once!" Ebisu was furiously willing his perverted blush away. The steam coming out of his ears wasn't really helping his situation.

_Eh? He's unaffected?_ Naruto thought. He decided to create a new technique in a spur of the moment action. Drastic times needed drastic actions. He ended his jutsu and made the hand seal for his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique). Twenty clones suddenly popped up, all surrounding Ebisu. Then Naruto applied his signature technique.

Ebisu passed out from a massive nosebleed. Konohamaru had stars in his eyes. Naruto just stood there with a triumphant grin on his face. Harem no Jutsu, success. Yep, he, Uzumaki Naruto, was amazing.

Then Konohamaru pestered him until he taught the boy his jutsu. Once Naruto had successfully corrupted a young child, he lectured the boy on how he created his technique: through guts, determination, and a capacity to work hard... somewhat, at least.

Konohamaru responded by saying that if Naruto was going to work hard to become Hokage, he would work hard too in order to become an acceptable rival. The blonde jinchuriki nodded in satisfaction before telling the boy to scurry off somewhere else. Konohamaru mock-saluted Naruto before dashing away.

In the Hokage Tower, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled down at the scene as he watched using his special crystal ball. Naruto certainly fixed the issue Konohamaru had regarding recognition.

The Hokage also resolved to try and make Naruto stop using that _damned_ sexual jutsu, especially since he taught it to his grandson. Who teaches that kind of technique to an innocent young child?

**VvVvV**

Three ninja followed a pack of dogs that were dragging their cohort around. It was pretty funny, given how Sakura was snickering, Sasuke was smirking, and Kakashi was giggling perversely. Oh, right. Kakashi was reading his pornographic material while his genin did D-rank missions. It was one of the joys of being a jounin who had to teach a bunch of what were essentially children, after all.

It was always funny watching new genin freak out over D-rank missions. D-ranks were basically chores the village made genin do for pocket money. No genin would go out on a C- or higher-rank mission right after they became ninja. You needed experience and training first.

When he first mentioned this to Naruto, the blonde had eagerly accepted. What Naruto didn't know was that D-ranks were in fact _not_ high-class, difficult missions in which you looked like a bad-ass. Most of the time, when they went to grab a D-rank or two, Naruto would make the other two genin pin most of the workload on him. It was as if he was trying to prove something.

In any case, Sakura enforced that idea of thinking because she didn't want to get dirty for Sasuke-_kun_, while Sasuke found that they could complete missions faster if Naruto spammed clones like they were going out of style. They could complete quite a few D-rank missions a day with Naruto's 'brute force' method.

Currently, Naruto was spitting out the dirt that had accumulated in his mouth from being dragged around by a pack of large dogs from the Inuzuka kennel. The job was rather easy to complete, even though Naruto did most of the work. With that particular assignment complete, the three genin and one jounin trekked back to the Hokage Tower to receive payment for their work.

The money wasn't much for Sakura, whose parents paid for most of the things she bought, and was practically nothing to Sasuke. A large and wealthy clan led to a large and healthy allowance. Itachi was never one to deny his brother some pocket change either.

On the other hand. Naruto found the money to be a gift from whatever god existed. Ever since he became a genin, the stipend he received from the Hokage had been drastically reduced, so the money made from D-ranks helped fill his pockets and stomach with change and ramen, respectively.

With the day's D-ranks complete, Naruto decided to ask his team if they wanted to go out for ramen. He had been aiming to do it earlier since they had started missions a few days ago, but most of the time he ended up being so tired from the day's work that he forgot to mention it to them.

"Hey Sakura-chan, Sasuke, want to get something to eat?" Most of Naruto's enthusiasm was gone by this point and all he wanted to do was get some fuel for his stomach. Ramen was amazing and Naruto knew that even Sakura and Sasuke would like to go for a bite to eat.

"I'll go if Sasuke-kun goes!" Sakura said, ignoring the fact that she was on a diet and that ramen was not a healthy food choice for someone like her. She had an expression of longing directed towards Sasuke that made Naruto frown. Normally, he'd try to convince Sakura that he was better, but that course of action usually resulted in her smacking Naruto in the head, something which he had no desire to experience- for the moment, anyway.

Sasuke merely shrugged and muttered "why not". With their decision made, the three bid their jounin-sensei good-bye and headed to Naruto's favorite ramen stand. For some reason, the blonde jinchuriki perked right up and ran towards his favorite food stand, looking completely refreshed.

By way of speed, Naruto reached the ramen stand first. "Oi! Old man Teuchi! Three bowls of Miso!" The blonde was wildly grinning at the prospect of ramen.

He really liked ramen.

Teuchi laughed at his reoccurring customer before nodding, "Coming right up, Naruto!" Ayame also dropped by to greet him before returning to the kitchen to wash bowls and take orders.

Sasuke and Sakura caught up with him as he was sitting on a stool, waiting for his ramen. Sasuke took the seat to the left of Naruto while Sakura took the seat left of Sasuke. Ayame handed menus to both of them.

Sakura ordered first, "One bowl of Vegetable Ramen, please." Sasuke ordered a Beef Ramen for himself and glanced at Naruto, whose order was fulfilled. He was currently slurping down the noodles with gusto. How someone could eat at such a ridiculous pace, the Uchiha member would never know.

Ayame had finished taking orders from the other customers then handed Sasuke and Sakura their orders. "So, I guess you three must have had an exciting day today," she began.

Sasuke grunted, deciding to humor the waitress, "Not really. Kakashi-sensei just makes us do simple missions for the village. He hasn't really taught us anything yet."

"It's only been a few days, Sasuke-kun. I'm sure Kakashi-sensei will teach us something soon," Sakura replied. The lazy jounin did have an obligation to teach them. If they were unprepared for anything, it would be their lives on his shoulders.

"I hope so," Naruto said, entering the conversation. "Over the past few days we've done chores for the village. Why should a ninja of my skill do _chores_?" Sakura snorted at this. Naruto? A good ninja? Yeah right.

"Naruto, you were the dead-last of our class. You should be training more often to make up for your failures in the academy." Naruto stopped slurping up the noodles from his third bowl of ramen and glared at Sasuke. The second Uchiha prodigy gave a noncommittal shrug, deciding to focus on his own meal.

"You should listen to Sasuke-kun," Sakura added. "Didn't you ever study or anything? You're only on this team because Sasuke-kun and I are the best in the academy."

"The academy is boring! What's the point of learning about history and math when it won't matter when you fight an enemy?" Naruto whined. "It's not like we're going to be able to talk our enemies to death or something." Talking an enemy to death? Who did that? The enemy would probably attack you while you were attempting to explain yourself.

Sakura shrugged, "So? Knowing stuff helps. Being a baka like you doesn't help. Simple." Naruto pouted at Sakura before returning to his meal. Once he finished his sixth bowl, Naruto paid for his ramen before hopping off his stool. It wasn't as much as he usually ate, but if he got hungry later he could whip up a quick cup ramen.

"I'll prove you two wrong! I'll be a great ninja no matter what. Who else is going to become Hokage when the old man retires?" He would get that amazing hat and the desk, and then people would have to respect. The Hokage demanded respect simply because he had worked hard enough to become such a powerful ninja.

Sasuke gave the grinning Naruto an amused look while Sakura started ticking down her fingers, "Let's see... there's Danzo-sama, Jiraiya-sama, maybe Tsunade-sama if she comes back to Konoha... need I say more?"

Naruto frowned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Err... who are they again?" The two genin face-faulted at his ignorance. He really should have paid more attention in the academy.

"You know what, you just proved my point, Naruto-baka," Sakura snapped. Dealing with Naruto got irritating. Sasuke got up and paid for his meal, as did Sakura.

"So, Sakura-chan, did you enjoy this da-" Naruto didn't get to finish his sentence before Sakura smacked him hard on the back of his head. Then she decided to follow Sasuke after he bid them farewell.

Ayame was giggling at Naruto as he lay on the ground, twitching. "You know Naruto-kun, maybe you shouldn't try to make girls angry." Teuchi nodded behind her back, mouthing "women are very scary" to Naruto as he rose up from the ground.

Naruto groaned and muttered a quick thanks for the ramen before heading to a training field. It wasn't that late out, as the sun was still sinking in the sky, but he might as well train a bit more. Ninja were supposed to keep their skills sharp, right?

**VvVvV**

"What?" Naruto said, looking at his sensei dumbly. Had he heard him right? No missions today? Just training for once? Team Seven had been doing missions the entire time they were together with little to no training. Most of the 'training sessions' were teamwork exercises where Kakashi would try to raise trust among the three. Usually, he sabotaged most of the exercises in order to try and break apart team relations, but no permanent harm was done. Sometimes Naruto and Sasuke would get pissed at each other and sometimes Sakura would punch Naruto hard enough to send him flying, but no permanent harm was done.

"Yep," Kakashi said cheerfully. "If all three of you get this down quickly enough, I might even let you accept a C-rank mission." C-ranks were a step above D-ranks and usually had shinobi going outside of their village. Those types of missions almost never had any fighting and were mostly for escorting paranoid people from one area to another. Nothing difficult at all. Still, Naruto jumped into the air excitedly, happy that he was about to be trained and that his team might get a mission harder than chasing a demon cat from the underworld.

Kakashi led his genin to the field where they usually went after meeting up on 'their' bridge. Training Field 3 was the official starting point of their team and so was their training point as well. The jounin walked over to one of the larger trees in the area. "I want you three to climb this tree," Kakashi commanded. He had said it in such a stern voice that there was no room for argument.

That didn't mean his genin weren't bewildered. Well, Naruto and Sakura were bewildered. Sasuke had seen his brother and father walk up trees and walls using chakra manipulation, but they had not taught him how to actually do it. Regardless, he had a fair idea of how to do it, and so walked up to the tree and attempted to climb it using his feet. He managed to get a few steps up before his shinobi sandals lost cohesion and he was forced to jump away.

Kakashi nodded. He expected Sasuke to have a grasp on the situation, but he was waiting for Naruto and Sakura to get it as well. He noticed Sakura walk up to the tree and lift a leg, putting her feet on the trunk like Sasuke had previously done. She returned her leg to its previous position and backed away, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"So, do you three get it?" Sasuke and Sakura both nodded their heads, showing that they understood what their sensei was teaching them. Naruto still had a befuddled expression on his face. It seemed as if he was still wondering how Sasuke had started to walk up the vertical trunk of the tree. "Naruto, what do all shinobi use?" Kakashi was going to try and get the proverbial light-bulb to go off in the blonde's head.

"Kunai? Shuriken? Jutsu?"

"No- Well yes, but that's not what I'm getting at. Naruto, how do you think Sasuke was able to walk up that tree?" Naruto scratched his head, trying to figure out the answer. Kakashi sighed- it figured that Naruto would have difficulty understanding what was happening. "What do you use for jutsu?" The blonde's eyes finally lit up and he enthusiastically answered- correctly, this time around.

"Correct," Kakashi said. "Chakra is what all shinobi use for jutsu and for other purposes, such as what Sasuke demonstrated. The training I am assigning you three is to climb the trunk of that tree-" Kakashi pointed to the tree with the wide trunk he had led them to, "-using your chakra. This will help you attain greater control of the chakra within your body, which will consequently help your endurance, jutsu, and will benefit you in general." Kakashi then walked up to the tree and made his way up to a nearby branch very slowly. "I will give you one hint for this exercise: it helps if you take a running start to boost yourself up. Use these-" Kakashi threw three kunai at the ground, one for each genin, "-to mark the spot you reach each time you try to climb the tree. That is all. I need to go run an errand, but I will check on you three every other hour."

The jounin gave them a cheery eye-smile and waved good-bye before vanishing in a puff of smoke. Naruto saw Sasuke give another attempt at climbing the tree, but he took a running start this time. Walking around to another part of the trunk, Naruto took a deep breath and charged forward, channeling chakra to his feet as he reached the tree. He took four steps up before one of his feet blasted the bark apart, causing him to slip and fall back. He barely managed to mark his progress before he landed on his feet.

He heard a grunt of exertion followed by a girlish giggle. Looking up, he saw Sakura sitting on one of the tree's branches, smiling down at her teammates. Sasuke stood next to Naruto, his eyebrows raised. "This wasn't that difficult, guys!" she called down to her teammates, obviously enjoying the feat she had just accomplished.

Sasuke cupped one of his hands to his mouth before responding with a shout, "How did you do that?" Sakura was smart, so asking her for help was perfectly logical. She was sure to know just how to use her chakra to climb vertical surfaces.

Sakura tapped her chin for a moment, recalling what the males on her team did and what she did before answering, "Keep the chakra in your feet steady when you run up the tree! Too much will probably break the bark and too little won't stick properly. Find an amount that works and stick to it." Sasuke nodded in understanding and backed up from the tree, deciding to dash and try again. It seemed like Sakura had the best chakra control out of the three of them.

Naruto clenched his fists as he watched Sasuke run up farther than he had before. _I won't be left behind! I'll show everyone what I can do!_ Naruto thought. With renewed determination, he charged forward, adjusting the chakra in his feet to match what Sakura had said, albeit with some difficulty.

When Kakashi returned to check up on his genin, the sun was sinking. Sakura should have expected that to happen, but she didn't even notice the time go by as she watched Naruto and Sasuke struggle to beat their previous records. While Sakura had stopped tree-climbing by the time she reached the first branch, Naruto and Sasuke kept running higher and higher until they both reached the branches near the top of the tree. Both of them looked exhausted, but Naruto looked like he was about to collapse.

Kakashi sweat-dropped when he saw what had happened to his team. Sakura was berating Naruto for trying to show off while he leaned on Sasuke, who was snickering at his condition. Granted, Sasuke did not look as great either, but by way of much lower reserves and conversely, better control, Sasuke wasn't quite as exhausted as Naruto. He simply wasn't wasting as much chakra as Naruto.

Kakashi stepped in and spoke up after examining the various slash marks on the trunk of the tree, "Maa, Maa... you three did better than I expected. Especially you, Naruto." Naruto gave a weak glare at his sensei before groaning. "From what I can see, I think we can grab a C-rank mission within the next week."

Naruto, yet again, defied his exhausted condition and jumped away from Sasuke, cheering wildly into the orange sky.

Then he fell flat on his face after he realized his body was still aching.

**VvVvV**

(Kirigakure)

The cloudy sky bore down upon the misty village, causing condensation to appear on the walls, floor, and windows throughout Kiri. It was a rather normal day for anyone who was born and raised in the village. Civilians greeted each other, shinobi saluted each other, and children played pranks with each other. If it wasn't for the climate giving the village such a gloomy look, one would have noticed the signs of a flourishing village beneath their very eyes.

And so, that was the village the Yondaime Mizukage laid eyes upon from the Mizukage Tower. Yagura was gazing out into his village from his seated position in the tower, clad in the blue Mizukage robes with his Kage hat on top of his head.

The past twelve years had been an uphill battle. Simply attempting to change laws regarding those who had kekkei genkei was difficult. Propaganda had helped him change the village's opinion, however. The previous Mizukage's words had been lost once Yagura impressed his authority, leading to slow, but sure changes around the village. Looking at it now, he found it hard to believe that Kirigakure once had lynch mobs running out to hunt down those with kekkei genkei, or those with 'tainted blood' as they had once been called.

He found himself feeling very lucky that he had two advisers who were sympathetic with his ideas and had helped him implement them. Terumi Mei and the older hunter-nin Ao had been instrumental throughout his reign. They had agreed when he proposed hosting the upcoming chunin exams in Kiri. It was a way to enforce goodwill towards the other villages while maintaining their neutrality.

Yagura was also bored out of his mind. Say what you want, but being a Kage was extremely boring most of the time. Paperwork, politics, paperwork, diplomacy, paperwork... it felt like a cycle. At least the chunin exams, if his offer went through, would serve as some entertainment.

There was a knock at the door and his secretary peeked her head in, asking him if he was ready for a meeting with Amegakure's ambassador. Yagura nodded and the door opened completely, letting a pale man with flowing red hair enter. Oddly enough, he was wearing tinted glasses, despite there being no sun or bright light within the room.

Yagura took note of the man's posture. He was confident, sure of himself. The black cloak that covered his body gave him an air of mystery that was accentuated by the aforementioned glasses. "So Nagato, why have you given me the pleasure of your company on this fine day?" Yagura smiled with mirth at his guest.

Nagato chuckled before answering the Mizukage, "I was wondering whether or not you would accept our support." Despite being the ambassador of Amegakure, Nagato did not, in fact, usually reside within his home village. He had been traveling around once Amegakure was united and rebuilt, which had occurred two years ago. Of the five great hidden villages, he had only traveled to Kirigakure before, although he had plans on traveling to the rest. His aim was to improve relations between them and between the minor hidden villages, most of which he had already visited. It would be exceedingly difficult, but he hadn't expected it to be easy.

Yagura shook his head sadly, "I am sorry, Nagato. Not as this moment. Perhaps after the chunin exams. If I get my way, the exams will be here in Kiri for once." The chunin exams had been placed in service at the end of the Third Great Shinobi War in order to foster positive relations between the villages. Kiri had never hosted one before due to Yagura's previous manipulated actions and following that, the rebuilding of his village.

Nagato only nodded, accepting the Mizukage's answer. "I see. That is fine, my friend. I will be attending these exams. Jiraiya-sensei has told me that there are many good potential candidates this time around."

Yagura smirked at this. "Ah, so you're excited as well? I'm wondering how many teams will be sent. Hopefully nothing too outlandish will happen. You have heard of that new village, Otogakure, correct?"

"Indeed I have, Yagura-sama. I have also heard that Jiraiya-sensei's old teammate is behind its creation. Given his past, I would hope that any team sent by that village does not cause any trouble." Nagato was usually not one for being crude with other shinobi, but Otogakure was the most secretive of any village, and a secretive village was cause for caution.

The Mizukage frowned for a moment before responding, "I would hope he does not attempt anything either. I doubt he will show up directly, but presumably, he will be hiding around. I don't have much evidence, but following the Kaguya's attack, one of their own displayed their special kekkei genkei before disappearing shortly after the attack. Although that particular attack was contained, I have reason to believe Orochimaru was the one who took the survivor." he certainly had much to gain from obtaining such a kekkei genkei.

"Let us not dwell on such topics, Yagura-sama," Nagato said, waving his hand in the air dismissively. The ambassador and the Mizukage were more than just deadly politicians- they were also friends. Nagato himself had met Yagura a year and a half prior, a few months after he had left Ame and gone wondering for his village. The two had hit it off, becoming fast friends due to their similar beliefs.

Yagura also believed that Nagato would lead the shinobi world to peace, especially since he possessed the Rinnegan. The red-haired man had shown Yagura his Rinnegan when they first met, which gave Yagura quite a start, much to Jiraiya's amusement (who had been traveling along with Nagato at the time).

With Nagato's dismissal of the more negative topics, the two friends began to chat about everyday, nonsensical things. The conversation eventually strayed to Nagato's journey to Kirigakure and his meeting of an interesting individual...


	4. Carpenters and Explosions

**A/N: R/R. Any errors or anything like that, either PM me or leave a review.  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

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><p>Chapter Four: Carpenters and Explosions<p>

_The path to the Land of Waves is very pleasant_, Nagato mused, glancing around at the endless forest behind him and the sea in front of him. Rays of sunlight pierced the cloudy sky and danced on the surface of the water, causing it to sparkle and gleam. The scene was quite breathtaking and reminded Nagato why he loved traveling so much.

Despite the sunlight, the air was quite cool, and there was mist forming in the distance. A large bridge caught his eye, despite it being unfinished. The bridge was massive and looked to aim to connect the Land of Waves to the mainland. It would certainly increase traffic and tourism as a person would not need a ship to cross over the sea to reach the isolated island. There was always a chance that one of the age-old whirlpools would appear and greedily suck seafaring vessels down to a watery grave.

According to certain historical texts, the Land of Waves had previously been a portal to Uzushiogakure no Sato, or the Village Hidden by the Whirling Tides. The village was well-known because of its sealing prowess which ultimately led to its downfall and subsequent destruction. Following the dispersal of its ruling clan and civilians, the land became abandoned and any information that remained was eroded away by time.

Nagato was part of the old clan of Uzushiogakure. Not directly, but his parents were civilians when the village was sacked. However, they had taken up a different surname in order to avoid confrontation. He himself did not currently hold the Uzumaki clan name, simply because the clan was, for all intents and purposes, dead and abandoned.

The red-haired man blinked from behind his tinted glasses as he regained awareness. His mind was reminding him that although he was heading towards Kirigakure, he needed to find a hotel or inn. He could adequately defend himself from anyone or thing that stumbled upon him, but he would rather sleep in warm bed than in the wild outdoors. The Land of Waves would surely have a place where he could stay, so he would have to make a stop there before continuing on to visit a friend.

The surface of the water splashed as chakra coursed through Nagato's feet. Although fresh genin had to put some concentration into doing this type of control, most shinobi could walk on water without any effort at all. Given how intense a shinobi's training could be, crossing over water to reach an island a short distance away shouldn't be much trouble.

The only thing that had Nagato concerned was the fact that there were very little seafaring vessels traveling between the mainland and the island. The Land of Waves was supposed to have a series of businesses that thrived on naval shipping. The lack of anything of that sort in the sea was somewhat troubling. When Nagato had ran through the Land of Waves a year and a half ago, it was much busier.

Although his leisurely pace gave him a sort of peace, Nagato soon realized that there were chakra signatures a short distance away. Two he presumed belonged to civilians, two which belonged to genin, and two which belonged to jounin. One of the jounin had ridiculously large reserves in comparison to the rest, which was a bit odd. Given their distance and the rate at which they were moving, Nagato assumed they were traveling by boat.

Any shinobi would cross the sea to the Land of Waves using water-walking as it was a relatively short distance to traverse. Since the two shinobi with jounin-level reserves were on boat and there were two genin-level shinobi traveling with the said jounin, it was obvious that this was either a mission or some sort of individual training. It was not completely unheard of for a jounin to take special interest in a specific shinobi and give them an apprenticeship in order to train them.

It probably wasn't his business. He had to find a place to stay for the night though and so continued towards the island, albeit at a lazy pace. If he ran into the possibly foreign shinobi, so be it.

**VvVvV**

"I don't think any of us have been out of Konoha before, Sakura-chan," Naruto said. Sakura would have screamed at him for using the affectionate suffix, but she was busy looking around. None of Team Seven, bar Hatake Kakashi, had been out of Konoha before, so the three genin were taking in the new scenery.

Except for the fact that it still seemed like they were in Konoha. The area was less crowded with trees and the air was slightly more humid, but it still felt like home. It was something that annoyed Naruto to no end and he decided to keep chatting about random things in order to alleviate his boredom.

"Kakashi-sensei probably has, Naruto. Shouldn't you stop talking? You might be annoying Tazuna-san," Sasuke responded. Tazuna was a gray-haired man wearing spectacles with a large beard and dark eyes. He wore a sleeveless v-neck shirt with an obi, pants, and a towel around his neck, as well as a pointed straw hat. The man was supposed to be a master carpenter, yet smelled heavily like alcohol, something which bothered the three genin to no end.

Tazuna snorted, mumbling something about "annoying brats". Naruto glared at the carpenter and at Sasuke before returning his attention to the scenery. Green was everywhere and the sun was shining. It was a rather hot day, with not a cloud in the sky. Naturally, Sasuke was suspicious when he saw a puddle in the corner of his eye. There wasn't even a river nearby to create such a thing.

Sasuke elbowed Naruto and before the blonde could start yelling, Sasuke whispered, "There's something odd here. Did you notice that puddle we passed?" Naruto rapidly shook his head, having not spotted anything out of the ordinary. Sasuke had to resist the urge to slap his palm on his face. "Look, it's pretty hot today and there's no river nearby, so how could a puddle be way out here? I'm just saying to be on guard. Kakashi-sensei said that there would be no ninja on this mission, but it never hurts to be careful."

"We're protecting an old drunk!" Naruto responded in a hushed voice. Sasuke gave him a threatening look before Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed, "Fine, I'll be on guard. Tell Sakura-chan, all right? Kakashi-sensei probably already knows since he's a jounin." Sasuke nodded and tried to explain the situation to Sakura, but there was a loud splashing sound and a series of clanking noises. Their sensei was suddenly wrapped in an extremely long, spiked chain.

Two shinobi with spiky black hair, facemasks, and slashed forehead protectors from Kirigakure appeared, holding the chain Kakashi was wrapped in with specialized, clawed gauntlets. The cloaked ninja had a clawed gauntlet on his right hand, while the one in more classic shinobi attire had the contraption on his left hand. One of the Kiri shinobi muttered "first one" before he and his partner retracted the chain, tearing Kakashi to shreds. Sakura screamed, Tazuna's mouth dropped in horror, and Naruto froze.

Both of the shinobi then turned their attention to Naruto. It was only Sasuke's shout that got Naruto to fall backwards on the ground in an effort to defend himself. While he fell, Sasuke had jumped into the air and thrown a shuriken and kunai in rapid succession, which collided with the chain attached to the clawed gauntlets and caused the chain to become lodged onto a tree. With the movement of the foreign shinobi restricted, Sasuke caught Naruto's eye, trying to establish a no-words link between them.

Naruto, however, was still on the ground, eyes wide and frozen with shock. Sasuke grit his teeth and leapt towards his opponents, his feet connecting with their heads. Their upper bodies snapped backwards, causing Naruto to blink away his surprise before shakily rising to his feet. The blonde jinchuriki flinched as a resounding _snap_ filled the air. Both of the Kiri shinobi had released the attached chain and had split up, one going for Tazuna while the other was intent on killing Naruto.

Sakura ran in front of the old carpenter, drawing a kunai from her holster in an attempt to protect him from the approaching Kiri shinobi. Naruto was about to attack the shinobi that was attacking him, as was Sasuke, when they both noticed their other opponent closing in on Sakura and Tazuna. This distraction let their own foe get in close with his clawed gauntlet.

Rather than tear flesh, the shinobi wearing the gauntlet on left hand found the wind knocked out of him. He was stunned for a moment and then quickly tied up to a tree next to his brother. His brother groaned and blinked the stars out of his eyes before glancing down at the rope binding them. How had they been stopped? Looking up, both Kiri missing-nin found the jounin unharmed and asking their target something. The target responded, possibly justifying himself or something. The blonde brat that looked like he had pissed himself was conversing with the other brats before the jounin walked towards the tied up brothers.

"So, you two are the Demon Brothers Gozu and Meizu, right? I really should kill you right now, but my genin need to continue with this mission." Kakashi said nonchalantly and turned his attention back to the road. The Demon Brothers growled before they felt their gauntlets being removed.

"Hey! Kakashi-sensei! Can I take their weapons?" Naruto asked, causing Sasuke and Sakura to face-fault. Tazuna quirked an eyebrow, _What an attitude! He went from being scared silly to wanting to steal the weapons of his enemies..._

Kakashi turned and see Naruto fumbling with the clawed gauntlets. The blonde genin had apparently taken an interest in the objects and was ignoring the screams of their old owners. His teammates watched in slight nervosity and curiosity as Naruto tried to fit them to his hands. Due to the size of the gauntlets and the hands they were originally designed for, he wouldn't be able to equip them any time soon. In order to make them operate correctly (for his hand size, anyway), Naruto would need to take them to a suitable weapon shop.

"Come on, Naruto. As long as you clean the poison off of them, you can keep your new toys," Kakashi said, sounding amused. Looting was not uncommon, but to see his cute little genin fumble with such relatively massive gauntlets was hilarious. Plus, Naruto had paled at the word 'poison' and was now treating the weapons as if they were sensitive explosive tags.

When they were all out of sight, the jounin that was traveling with them appeared in front of the Demon Brothers. "I might care enough to spare the genin unnecessary death, but you two aren't getting out of this alive." Both of the brothers paled before struggling in a futile effort to escape the thick rope bindings. Kakashi took out a kunai and slit the throat of the missing-nin, watching as they gurgled and choked on their own blood. When he was sure they were dead, the jounin removed the bodies from the tree and incinerated them with a Katon jutsu. The Shadow Clone dispelled itself with no one being the wiser.

"If Gato is the one aiming for your death, Tazuna-san, then it is likely he would not have sent just those two shinobi alone. It is likely we'll have to deal with a stronger enemy now," Kakashi murmured. The carpenter looked nervous, but Naruto insisted they keep going, at least until they reached their destination. Sasuke and Sakura both agreed, not wanting to fail the mission.

As they kept walking, they eventually found a bay leading into the sea. In the distance, they could see mist partially clouding the visibility of the island. Tazuna led them to a man with a wide boat who would ferry them across the sea. As they all entered the boat and started traversing the expanse of water, Naruto decided to start speaking, "So Tazuna, this Gato guy is controlling your economy?" Naruto didn't know what an economy was, but he refrained from saying that. He didn't want to appear stupid in front of his team.

"Yes. He bought out most of the shipping companies in Wave and ended up monopolizing the industry. He owns a large company called Gato Company." At Naruto's confused look, the carpenter elaborated, "Gato controls which ships go in and out. Since he owns everything, he can essentially control the amount of money that goes into the island. He's been doing just that for about a year by taking all of the money for himself and leaving the island to rot," he finished somewhat bitterly.

"Gato is a man who invests heavily in underground business. If anything, he is a criminal." Kakashi added. Naruto frowned. How could someone do such a thing? Money wasn't that important. The jinchuriki could always live off of meager supplies and so would rather train instead of try and get more money. Although, money never completely hurt. It was always nice to be able to buy more ramen from Ichiraku's or buy more shuriken and kunai. But sucking the income away from an entire _island_? He just didn't understand it, so he chalked up Gato being S-rank criminal scum.

"Of course," Tazuna continued, "The main reason he is trying to kill me is because, like Kakashi-san said, of the fact that I am the only carpenter that dared take action against him. If we can complete that bridge I started to build, we can cut down Gato's business and breathe life back into Wave. You guys can leave if you want, but I'll eventually be killed, Wave will suffer, and my cute grandson will be sad and never trust another ninja again..." Tazuna started to cry in an extremely fake manner. All three of the genin rolled their eyes before reassuring the old drunk and unanimously deciding to continue with protecting him, even after their original mission parameters were finished.

With that, the rest of the trip was made in silence, with only the soft splashes from the oar as an interruption. The area was becoming blanketed in a layer of fog, making visibility more difficult. When they reached the island, the owner of the boat quickly ushered them out and left them, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention from Gato's hired goons.

As the group continued walking towards Tazuna's home village, the mist shrouding the area began to let up, letting some sunshine through. "I'd like Team Seven to remain aware of their surroundings," Kakashi said, alerting his genin. "We're getting close to our destination, so it's likely that we're going to be attacked again." Sakura gulped, Naruto tensed his body (the clawed gauntlets were stowed away in his pack), and Sasuke's eyes flitted about.

"Speak of the devil, am I right?" A saucy voice cut through the area and a loud buzzing was heard. Kakashi's eye widened and he ran forward, grabbing Tazuna and shoving him down to the ground. The three genin also hit the dirt as a horizontal, crackling wave of electricity passed over their heads, crashing into a large tree and obliterating the trunk, causing it to collapse. When the dust cleared, the genin could see a somewhat tall man with a glowing sword in his hand smirking at them.

**VvVvV**

The small town in the Land of Waves looked like it was going under. No, scratch that, it looked like Amegakure before Yahiko had uplifted it, minus the random shinobi littering the streets. Gaunt children were running around the streets, a few houses were in shambles, and stores had startlingly low amounts of supplies. There were pretty shady characters walking around as well that looked like they were keeping an eye on things. For what reason, he didn't know.

Nagato frowned at the deplorable sight. It really tugged at his heartstrings to see such depression, given his past. Deciding to find out more, Nagato walked up to one of the civilians in a discrete manner. After asking the civilian for directions towards the nearest bar, he headed straight there.

The bar was not loud, rowdy, or active. Nor was it boisterous, warm, or happy. The atmosphere felt like it accentuated the depressive situation outside. The dank, dimly lit area had stools and wooden tables littering the place, with downtrodden individuals mulling about. Nagato went up to the counter where an older man was serving drinks to anyone who would pay. He raised an eyebrow at the prices before muttering, "I'm looking for information."

The bartender shifted his eyes nervously back and forth, something that did not go unnoticed by the red-haired man. _Fear_, he thought, _Fear of punishment by those shady men_. Nagato cleared his throat and amended his previous statement, "Do you know anywhere which I could get some information, or a room?" A grunt behind him alerted Nagato to someone else answering his question.

"Tazuna's back with some ninja. They say he's got protection for the moment, so he'll hopefully finish the bridge and rid us of that damned midget." At Nagato's inquiry, the man told him where Tazuna's family was supposed to live. Nagato thanked the man and left, heading in the direction of the house.

The unfinished bridge he had seen as he was entering Wave was probably the man- Tazuna's- creation. It had something to do with the economic mess the land seemed to be in. Nagato didn't have all of the variables yet, though. Something would have caused the depression, which would then lead to the bridge being built. Someone was sending thugs, or possibly missing-nin to off Tazuna, which was what warranted a protection detail of shinobi.

As he neared the house, Nagato realized that there were four very familiar chakra signatures within. He recognized the ones from when he was crossing the sea and sighed, muttering to himself. It really wasn't his business butting into foreign shinobi affairs, but the state of the land really disturbed him. If anyone had the information he wanted, it would probably be the owners of the home or the ninja themselves.

He walked up to the door and knocked. There was some shuffling inside before the door creaked open. The red-haired man could see the cautiousness by the person behind the wooden door. A woman with sleek, shiny black hair, pale skin, and brown eyes was peering at him. Nagato could sense a genin's chakra signature near her, possibly just in case a thug wanted to attack her.

"I am not here for a confrontation. I merely have some questions regarding the state of this land." At the woman's confused look he added, "I am an ambassador from Amegakure no Sato and I am on my way to Kirigakure no Sato. I have previously visited the Land of Waves before, when it wasn't such a terrible mess." The woman bit her lip before shutting the door. There were hushed whispers from within the house before a series of clicks could be heard.

When the door opened, a tall silver-haired man with a mask on his lower face appeared. Nagato noticed a forehead protector that aligned the man with Konohakagure. The beat-up looking man was wearing jounin shinobi attire. His one visible eye was narrowed slightly. "Is there a particular reason why an ambassador from Amegakure no Sato happens to be on this doorstep?" There was a hint of malice in the man's voice. The aggressive tone would probably scare any lying bandits away if they were trying to attack using scare tactics.

Nagato adjusted his tinted sunglasses, unsuppressed his chakra, and gave the man a disarming smile. "My name is Nagato. I am orphan, now ambassador, from Amegakure no Sato. My destination is Kirigakure no Sato, but as I was passing through here I noticed how... _bad_ the situation looked. I assure you, I am only here for information."

_For the moment anyway_, Nagato mentally added.

The silver-haired man did not budge from the doorway and did not seem to be accepting Nagato's word. Nagato sighed, reached into his black cloak, and retrieved a ninja ID, handing it to the man in front of him. The ID was snatched, examined, and returned. "I am Hatake Kakashi, jounin of Konohagakure and leader of Team Seven." Nagato nodded, accepting what Kakashi had said as truth. "Now what is the real reason you are here, Nagato-san?"

"I told you. I am just trying to find the reason why the Land of Waves is in an economic depression. I visited this place a year and a half ago and it was much livelier than what I saw in the main part of town." Nagato folded his arms at Kakashi's careful glare. Maybe he should play the Jiraiya card? Playing the Rinnegan card was always risky since it made him feel like he was taking advantage of people. "If it helps, I was taught by Jiraiya of the Sannin and Amekagure has been keeping its neutrality ever since our new leader took power. He currently maintains an isolationist policy, but is attempting to encourage goodwill between the hidden villages."

This caused Kakashi's eye to widen. Nagato had to restrain the satisfied smirk from appearing on his face. "So you are traveling around the nations as a sort of goodwill effort from the leader of Ame?"

Nagato nodded before speaking, "I realize that it is none of my business to be here, but I do feel for these people."

"I... see. If Amegakure is maintaining their isolationist policy, then I have to assume you will not do anything that would cause a war to break out between our two villages. We are not allied, so excuse my cautiousness," Kakashi finished in a neutral tone.

Nagato nodded again before reaching inside his cloak. The jounin tensed slightly, but relaxed when Nagato brought out a weathered old book, its pages starting to yellow. He handed the book to Kakashi. "I feel like you will not trust me, but hopefully this will change your mind."

The silver-haired jounin was flipping through the pages of the book quickly, but carefully. The book was a first edition of _Tales of a Gutsy Ninja_, by Jiraiya of the Sannin. He remembered his late sensei reading the book and encouraging him to read it himself. There was even a signature on the back signed, "From your sensei Jiraiya to the future of Amegakure!". A trio of names were also scrawled below the main message, one of which clearly was Nagato's name.

Kakashi grunted and moved to allow Nagato entrance. The red-haired man entered the living room of the house, taking note of the individuals within the room. There was a pink-haired girl with light skin and green eyes, a black-haired boy with onyx eyes, and a tanned, blonde-haired boy with odd whisker-like marks adorning his face. Near the trio of children was the woman who had previously interacted with Nagato, and an old man who Nagato could only assume was the carpenter who had hired the ninja protection detail.

"Introduce yourselves brats," Kakashi said, causing the blonde to shout at his sensei before returning his attention to Nagato. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto!"

The pink-haired one went next, "I'm Haruno Sakura."

Then, the black-haired one, "I am Uchiha Sasuke."

Nagato blinked. An _Uzumaki_? One that actually was using the clan's name? He studied the blonde for a moment. Uzumaki were supposed to have dark red hair, yet the boy's hair was sun yellow. Nagato also noticed the jounin-like chakra reserves on the boy. "I am Nagato of Amegakure no Sato. I mean you all no harm and have no intention on causing any trouble." The pale, red-haired man bowed to the group of genin, surprising them.

"My name is Tsunami and this is my father, Tazuna," the black-haired woman said, adding her own introductions. "I have a son named Inari, but he's not feeling so well." Nagato bowed to the two adults next, smiling pleasantly at them.

"Now then, you wanted some information, Nagato-san?" Kakashi asked, glancing at the new guest.

Nagato nodded and turned to Tazuna, "Can you tell me what is going on with this land? I have visited the Land of Waves before and it was not quite so desperate."

"Gato happened," the blonde muttered darkly, causing Nagato's attention to turn to him in interest.

Tazuna continued where Naruto had stopped, "A wealthy man known as Gato has taken control of the shipping industry in Wave and has taken all of the money for himself. It's turned our economy into dust." Nagato frowned. A wealthy businessman pops up, seizes control of an economy, and thinks he's important because he can hire missing-nin to do his dirty work. Yeah, that was the gist of it.

"From the state your sensei is in, I believe you were attacked, correct?" At this, the three genin and Tazuna nodded. "We were attacked by two missing-nin from Kirigakure and some missing-nin from Konoha," Sakura said. After a moment she added, "He defected to some village though."

"What was his name, Sakura?" Nagato asked in a kindly manner.

Kakashi decided to interject, "You might know him. Although he wasn't from your village, he was using techniques Amegakure is known for." Nagato's eyes narrowed, not that anyone could see it from behind his tinted glasses.

Kakashi spoke once more, "He said his name was..."

**VvVvV**

A man with a gray, black-lined tunic was smirking at the group of ninja protecting his target. He had a thick, purple rope tied around his waist, which held a long, blue umbrella to his back. A forehead protector with a musical note symbol held back long, brown bangs. In his right hand was a glowing sword with an ornately designed handle. The blade was flashing yellow as the man twirled it through the air. "I never expected Sharingan Kakashi, shinobi of a thousand jutsu to be leading a team of baby-faced brats," the man said, smirking hungrily at the group in front of him.

Kakashi helped Tazuna up from the ground, instructing his genin to take up positions in protecting the carpenter. "Rokusho Aoi, defector of Konohagakure. I see you still have the _Sword of the Thunder God_," Kakashi noted. Aoi's smirk widened. In response, he stabbed the sword through the air while aiming at Kakashi, causing an electrical bolt to discharge itself from the blade. The attack hit Kakashi and exploded, causing the genin to gasp.

"It's over. I suggest you hand over that sword and give yourself up. It doesn't matter which village you are allied to, you are still a missing-nin from Konoha," Kakashi murmured from behind Aoi. He held a kunai in a reverse grip next to the defector's neck. The former Konoha-nin merely laughed, inviting Kakashi to kill him. Before Kakashi could slit the missing-nin's neck, the man sparked, crackling with bright electricity. Kakashi was hit and thrown back, slightly convulsing from the attack.

Aoi's former position had a minor crater from the explosion. Kakashi rose from the ground and took up a defensive stance, moving his hand to raise his forehead protector. His left eye was thus shown, revealing his three-tomoe, fully matured Sharingan. "I hadn't expected a Raiton Bunshin (Lightning Clone). If you have chakra to throw around, especially with that sword, then I'm going to have to get serious."

"I have more than enough power to spare for you and those _children_ who think they can play ninja." Aoi gave a feral smile to the three genin, blasting them with Killing Intent. All three shivered, their resolve quickly deteriorating. Kakashi countered with his own Intent, saturating the area with so much of it that even Tazuna began to shudder.

Before Kakashi made his move, he turned his head towards his genin, giving them an eye-smile, "Don't worry, you three. I won't let anything happen to my comrades." Aoi's smile gained some malice before he capitalized on Kakashi's distraction. Using his speed, he appeared next to Kakashi, shoving his glowing blade through the man's stomach.

Instead of blood pouring from the wound, there was a familiar crackling noise. The explosion that followed it blasted the missing-nin back, causing him to bounce on the ground before skidding to a stop and rising, groaning as he did so. "How? How did you copy my technique? You hadn't even uncovered that damned eye!" Aoi's eyes were wide with fury and he was glaring at the copy-nin that dropped down from a nearby tree branch.

Kakashi's response was to go through a few hand seals. He breathed in before intoning, "Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" A large fireball was sent forward, intent on incinerating Aoi. When it hit his body it exploded, sending dust and smoke throughout the area. Luckily, once Kakashi stopped feeding chakra into the technique, the flames went out, removing the possibility of a greater fire. When the dust cleared, the three genin saw 'Aoi's' corpse melt to the ground, signifying that it was a Mud Clone. Kakashi's eyes skimmed his surroundings, looking for his opponent.

Aoi appeared right in the middle of the trio of genin and the carpenter. With a smirk on his face, he raised his sword to cut down one of people in the group. Naruto could see the missing-nin's arm rise up and quickly put his index and middle fingers on both of his hands together in a cross, shouting out his technique's name as dozens of clones popped up. Seeing as Aoi was surprised from the amount of solid clones that had appeared, a bundle of clones grabbed Tazuna and quickly moved him away from his assassin. "Sakura-chan, Sasuke! Let's beat this guy down!" Then all of the clones jumped on Aoi, attempting to drag him down and beat him into unconsciousness like they had done for Mizuki.

Yet again a crackling sound filled the air, followed by a flash and an explosion. The majority of the clones dispelled and the real Naruto was thrown back. Sakura and Sasuke had backed away, while their jounin-sensei had appeared on a branch, engaged in a furious taijutsu match with Aoi. "Sakura-chan, we need to distract that guy so Kakashi-sensei can finish him," Naruto said.

"What do we do, dead-last? This guy's fighting on par with Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke responded. He noticed a gleam in Naruto's eye and a predatory grin appear on his face. The blonde jinchuriki noted that his clones were still watching Tazuna, so he ushered his teammates closer together and told them what he was planning. It was basic teamwork, but they hoped it would provide enough of a distraction for their sensei to deal a finishing blow.

Although Kakashi had no actual blade to counter that of his foe's, the Sharingan was particularly helpful in anticipating Aoi's attacks and countering them. He couldn't really touch the blade with his own kunai or else he would be shocked from its power, so he kept up his evasion. The Konoha missing-nin seemed to only follow a basic series of patterns regarding his blade and probably relied on the weapon's electrical power to overwhelm opponents.

Finally, Aoi jumped back, grabbed the umbrella secured on his back, and threw it at where the genin were watching. Kakashi realized what the man was trying to do and tried to shout out a warning, but was cut off by a quicker, renewed assault on Aoi's part. From Aoi's perspective, he could see the umbrella float up in the air and begin spinning, launching hundreds of senbon needles in a wide area. He assumed it would end up skewering the genin, with the poison he had slathered on the needle-like weapons killing them.

Three distinct pops were heard, followed by a feminine shout. Kakashi noticed the beginnings of a genjutsu form around Aoi and then saw Sasuke throw a Fuma Shuriken directly at the missing-nin. Displaying incredible flexibility, Aoi bent back at the waist, evading the large shuriken as it passed by. The former Konoha-nin's amused smirk turned into a surprised expression when the shuriken turned into Naruto, who threw a kunai with an attached explosive tag at the enemy.

Kakashi mentally applauded his genin, even though it would have been safer if they had stayed away from the battle. Then he took advantage of the resulting explosion and jumped into the air, predicting where Aoi would end up. In one of his hands was an electrical ball of glowing energy. The surprised missing-nin ended up having a Chidori (One Thousand Birds) pierce the lower left of his stomach, sending him down to the ground in pain.

"D-Damn you... Damn you brats!" Aoi gasped, blood starting to spill from his wound. Part of it had been cauterized by the attack, but it was still open. Miraculously, he still had a firm grip on his sword and was glaring at the jounin closing in on him. Kakashi himself looked beat up, but the genin looked relatively fine, if not a bit exhausted.

Before Kakashi could take out a kunai and finish Aoi off, the missing-nin ripped open his tunic, showing off a multitude of explosive tags attached to his torso. The man then started cackling wildly and set the tags off. The genin were a ways off and Tazuna was not even close to the battlefield; Aoi seemed to be intent on bringing his fellow jounin down with him.

The blast itself was tremendous, sending pockets of heat in all directions as well as causing a cloud of dust to billow out. However, Kakashi was not a jounin for no reason and was able to escape the blast radius. All that was left of Aoi was a smoldering crater and his umbrella, which had fallen a ways off some time ago.

Naruto whistled, "Whoa... didn't think he'd go that far." Sasuke and Sakura were numb from their attacker's apparent suicide. Kakashi sighed, covering up his Sharingan eye in order to conserve the chakra he had left. He wasn't about to faint from chakra exhaustion, but he was feeling much older than he was.

**VvVvV**

(Tsunami's House)

"Do you have that umbrella, by any chance?" Nagato asked. Kakashi shook his head, notifying the ambassador that the weapon had been damaged and left behind. "That's fine, then. But I thank you for dealing with Rokusho Aoi. He killed one of our genin teams and ended up taking their weapons."

Naruto blanched at this. He had taken the weapons of the Demon Brothers, so Kirigakure might send someone after him? His sensei chuckled and turned to him, "Don't worry, Naruto. The weapons you have were from missing-nin and are sold in Iwagakure and Kumogakure. I'm not sure if Konoha sells them, but you could always check when we return." Naruto breathed a visible sigh of relief, much to everyone's amusement.

"It's a shame about the sword though. It belonged to the Nidaime Hokage, but it was gone when he blew up," Sakura said. Such a sword was part of Konoha's heritage and would have probably gotten them a bonus. The other two genin nodded at this, seemingly realizing what Sakura had been implying.

"I do have a request," Nagato began, looking at Tsunami, "Is it all right if I stay here for a few days? I have money to pay you and I think I'd like to get to know you all." Tazuna looked a bit nervous and Tsunami turned her gaze to Kakashi. The jounin was a bit surprised an ambassador of Amegakure would want to get to know his team.

Oh, right. He had Uchiha Sasuke on his team. The boy hadn't unlocked his Sharingan yet, but it was always possible for an attack. Sensing Kakashi's uncertainty, Nagato interrupted his thoughts, "Again, I do not wish any harm upon your students. Amegakure no Sato has had enough on its plate for the past few years and has no intention of starting a war." Wars had been started over less and Nagato had seen enough of it in his early years.

Kakashi gave Tsunami the go-ahead and she allowed Nagato to have a room for himself. Nagato thanked the woman, asking her where he should sleep as he did so, before finally excusing himself. No one noticed the boy who heard the tale of how three young ninja and their sensei defeated a missing-nin after his own grandfather's life.

**VvVvV**

The following day, Kakashi was feeling a bit better and had recovered more from his exhaustion. Teaching them the next basic part of chakra manipulation would be useful, both for their reserves and control. Sakura's reserves were pitiful while her control was excellent. Naruto's reserves were enormous, but his control terrible. Sasuke was in the middle ground, with decent reserves and chakra control.

While Tazuna was working on the bridge and Kakashi guarding him, he made sure his genin were performing the exercise he had set them up to do. The morning was rather warm, so the genin had no qualms with getting wet over and over again. Kakashi did realize his students had improved from when they were learning the tree-climbing exercise, but they weren't able to immediately walk on water even though one of them had better control than the rest.

In order to stave off complete exhaustion, Kakashi had them take half hour breaks every hour. Naruto could keep going without the breaks, but Sakura and Sasuke always needed to catch a breather else they risked depleting their reserves. Since Kakashi could keep an eye on the carpenter and his three genin at the same time, his demands were steeper for their training. Instead of simply completing the task set before them, Kakashi wanted each of them to be able to walk on water while their concentration was divided.

The result of that was him asking Naruto to create three sets of clones and to have them throw rocks, pebbles, and insults at the genin, much to their (including Naruto's) irritation. Kakashi thought it was funny and the laughter of some of the men helping Tazuna with the bridge was music to his ears.

Sasuke shouted as one of the rocks thrown by a clone caused him to lose his concentration and fall into the sea. He shot a dirty look at the real Naruto, who was lying spread eagle on the shore next to Sakura. The pink-haired girl was grumbling at Naruto for 'ruining' her hair and clothes. Sasuke swam back to shore, sitting down and crossing his legs when he reached his teammates. With no one trying to water-walk for the moment, Naruto's three Kage Bunshin dismissed themselves, causing him to suddenly laugh at the memory of Sasuke's odd attempts to evade the stones thrown at him.

"Why are you laughing, baka? Having your clones throw rocks at us isn't funny," Sakura said, glaring at Naruto.

When Naruto laughed harder she cracked him on the top of his head with her fist, shutting him up immediately. Naruto whined for a moment, before giving Sasuke a confused look. "You looked pretty funny before, when my clone was still watching you. I don't know how I know that since my eyes were closed when I was lying next to Sakura-chan."

Sasuke blinked. He and Sakura were well-aware of Naruto's Kage Bunshin and the massive amount of chakra required to use it. Sasuke had once thought that solid bunshin would be useful, but Kakashi had told both he and Sakura that only Naruto could use the jutsu as it required obscene amounts of chakra to efficiently use. If you did not have the required amount of chakra, death would become a very likely possibility. The jounin had gone as far as forbidding the two from trying to learn it in order to protect them from killing themselves.

"What do you mean, Naruto?" Sasuke asked. He was a bit confused as to how Naruto would know that. He wasn't a Hyuuga, so he didn't have a special kind of eye that would grant him 360 degree vision. If the blonde wasn't pulling his leg, then he must have had another set of eyes somewhere...

Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized what could be happening. The Kage Bunshin might actually grant Naruto additional eyesight. But there was a problem: Naruto hadn't remarked on anything of this sort before when they had sparred and there wasn't a jutsu limit. "Naruto," Sasuke said, rising from the sand, "Create a Kage Bunshin and make it follow me." Naruto shrugged and did as he was told. He had chakra to spare, so why not?

Sakura watched as the Naruto-clone walked out of sight with Sasuke. She was confused for a moment before Naruto jumped up, shouting something about proving Sasuke wrong. Sasuke walked back to his team, a clear smirk on his features. "I'll totally beat you, Sasuke-teme! I'll master water-walking before you!" Sasuke's smirk didn't vanish and he waited for Naruto to get the picture while Sakura just sat on the sandy ground, still completely confused with what happened.

The blonde's face went from determined to lost and he said, "Wait... how did I know that?"

"Do you realize what Kage Bunshin lets you do, dead-last?" Sasuke sighed when Naruto shook his head rapidly. He had no idea where he had learned that particular jutsu, but the application of it would surely help him be better for more than just pulling asinine plans out of his behind. "When your clone dispels, whatever it learns, you learn. You get that, right?" Naruto nodded slowly, prompting Sasuke to continue, "Since you can create a large number of clones at will, you could probably cut learning time down by weeks, months even. Possibly even years depending on how difficult the technique is to master."

This had the effect of making Sakura's mouth drop, Naruto's face to nearly split open with a huge smile, and Kakashi, who was listening to their shouting, to smile slightly underneath his mask. Team Seven's sensei didn't know if Naruto would find out the secret of Kage Bunshin on his own, but with Sasuke's help, his training speed would dramatically increase. An idea popped into Kakashi's head, one that he would utilize once the mission was over and his genin all returned to Konoha.

If he could get his genin to at least become somewhat proficient in the next exercise he had planned, then he would be sure they'd be ready for the upcoming chunin exams.

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><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: The water-walking exercise was inspired from Kenchi618's story _Better Left Unsaid_. Well, the inspiration was from that story. Also, I realize that Sasuke isn't like his canon counterpart and Naruto is not. Give it time, guys. Several things have changed.  
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**Don't worry, Naruto's attitude will begin to change.  
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**EDIT: Thanks to jivablab for correcting Uzushiogakure's location. I thought it was at Wave originally, but apparently not.**

**EDIT2: Thanks to Main Character Dude for some factual corrections. I also fixed an error and added "Mud Clone" for the Doton Kage Bunshin. I got the information from the wiki, which is how I get most of my information. I guess I can use Earth Release: Shadow Clone and Mud Clone interchangeably though.  
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	5. Revelation

**A/N: Some things sounded strange in this, so please leave a review and tell me what you think. Tell me if there are any errors, please.  
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**Disclaimer: Might as well. I don't own Naruto.  
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><p>Chapter Five: Revelation<p>

Team Seven's jounin sensei watched as his genin ran around the top of the sea. They hadn't quite mastered water-walking, but they were well on their way. Sakura could split her concentration and keep up her chakra manipulation due to her control. Sasuke could do it to a lesser extent, while Naruto had to devote the most effort in order to prevent himself from falling the water. He wasn't a genius by any means, but it was impressive how much one could improve by throwing clones everywhere. However, due to his massive reserves, Naruto's control went up at a slower pace than for his teammates regardless of his penchant for using Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clones) to train.

Kakashi already had a few ideas of where he could take each member of the team when they returned to Konoha. Originally, he was just going to teach them nature transformation for their elemental affinities, but after observing them for the past two days, he could tell additional training in other subjects would do them good. Plus, it was likely that Sasuke already knew his affinity.

Sakura's control meant that she had the potential to become great at genjutsu, which was what her academy files originally noted. She knew one genjutsu, but it was an E-rank and she had only used it as a way to distract her opponents. Sasuke had the potential to become a ninjutsu powerhouse, as did Naruto. If Sasuke unlocked his Sharingan, teaching him would be that much easier. Naruto's clones would also enable the jinchuriki to work towards more than one affinity should he choose to do so.

A bunch of clones all working towards one objective certainly sped up achieving said objective.

The Sharingan user turned his eye back to his genin when he heard a splash. Naruto had, yet again, fallen into the sea and was shouting at Sasuke for beating him down.

A discrete recommendation from Nagato had caused Sasuke and Naruto to fight each other while water-walking in an attempt to maintain concentration while evading attacks. It hurt less than rocks and helped their progress, but Sakura didn't participate. She was content watching Sasuke beat Naruto most of the time. Kakashi would have to change that, since Sakura could very well become the weakest link in the team.

His thoughts turned to the red-haired Nagato. Although he didn't really trust the man, Nagato hadn't done anything suspicious. His reserves were ridiculously large, which was a bit worrying. Additionally, whenever he was asked about the tinted glasses he wore, he would always say something about weak eyesight. He never ate at Tsunami's house either, only using the house as a place to stay and departing somewhere during the day only to come back when the sun set.

A whistle sounded a short distance away, signaling the end of the day's shift. The bridge was coming along nicely and in a few days, it would finally be completed. No attacks had been launched yet, which made for rapid progress. Kakashi wondered if Gato could even hire another jounin-level missing-nin before the bridge was finished.

Groaning came from behind him. Naruto was being supported by Sasuke, who looked like he wasn't much better. Sakura looked rather chipper compared to her two male teammates since she didn't actively engage in any water-walking coupled with sparring. Then there was a loud gurgle. "Hungry, are we? Don't worry, Tsunami-san will probably have food for you guys." Kakashi gave his team an eye-smile for good measure.

"Kakashi-sensei, when is the bridge going to be completed?" Naruto asked, suddenly perking up as if he hadn't been training for the past while.

His sensei hummed in thought when Tazuna, who had been walking nearby, answered the blonde. "In about three to four days and it's all thanks to you four! Morale is high, people around the town are talking, and Gato's goons are going to be running!" Tazuna finished with a hearty laugh. Naruto gave a wide smile as the group neared the house.

When they entered, Nagato was already inside, speaking with Tsunami about something. The two broke their conversation off when they all entered. "I think you all look hungry! Thanks to Nagato-san over here, I was able to get extra ingredients. Dinner is almost ready," Tsunami said. "Oh, and Nagato-san will be joining us for this dinner. I think he deserves it after all the help he's given me."

Nagato gave her a small smile before taking a seat at the somewhat large table in the kitchen. Naruto scrambled to grab a seat, followed by the more sedate Tazuna, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura. Sakura scolded Naruto for his manners before apologizing to Tsunami for the blonde's behavior. "So Tsunami, in a few days the bridge will be complete and it's all thanks to these four. Gato will get his just desserts soon enough!" Tazuna said.

"Yeah! It's because we're awesome and went through with the mission!" Naruto exclaimed. "I told you we'd protect you, old man!" Naruto flashed a wide grin at Tsunami as she served their dinner. Once everyone was situated, they all said a loud 'itadakimasu' before beginning to eat. No one ever saw Kakashi's hand move or the removal of his mask. His food simply vanished and he was seen rubbing his stomach and thanking his host for the dinner. The three genin scowled at Kakashi's ability to keep his lower face concealed.

Footsteps distracted everyone as they turned to the foot of the stairs, where a dark-haired young boy wearing a striped hat and a propped collar overall was watching them eat. His knitted eyebrows showed that he was angry and was glaring at the four ninja who were protecting his grandfather. "Why are you here?" He asked.

Naruto turned to Tsunami, who had a troubled expression on her face. He returned his attention to Inari before speaking, "We're here to protect the old man! We'll totally get that bridge done."

Inari only shook his head before saying, "You can't beat Gato. There's no hope for you all. You're all going to die. It's going to happen to matter what." His negativity seemed to make the previously boisterous room turn gloomy.

This only served to anger Naruto, "What? Why? Why would we all die? We're doing great so far!"

"What do you know?" Inari shouted, "You haven't lived this life! You haven't experienced anything as bad as I have! When you've been through what I have, you would know that you should just give up! There's no hope!"

Growling, Naruto ran up to Inari and grabbed the scruff of his shirt before shaking the boy. "Don't tell me about your so-called horrible life! You should count yourself lucky for having a family to look after you! To me, all you seem to be is a whining brat that's given up and accepted his fate! You should never give up! The moment you start doubting yourself is the moment you've lost hope!" Naruto was fuming now. He turned to Tsunami, gave her a quick thanks, and headed to the door.

"Naruto, where are you going?" Kakashi asked. He had put down his pornographic material when Naruto had jumped out of his seat and stormed over to Inari.

"I'm going out to train and let off some steam. I'll be back later," the blonde responded, ignoring the shocked look on Inari's face. Then the blonde opened the door and left with an audible slam.

Tsunami's son stomped upstairs, still a bit dazed from Naruto's outburst. "Tsunami-san, what was that about?" Sakura asked.

Tsunami sighed before answering, "Inari used to be close with a man. A man who gave this land hope. A man who saved the town from certain destruction."

"His name was Kaiza," Tazuna continued, picking up where Tsunami left off, "He was a fisherman that came to the Land of Waves in search of new opportunities. Kaiza's character was very similar to Naruto's in the way that he always said if 'you had an aim, you should never give up until you achieve that aim'."

"Tsunami-san said he saved the people from certain destruction. What did she mean about that?" Sasuke asked. Tazuna's gaze turned to a nearby picture frame in which Inari, Tsunami, and a man with a scar on his chin were sitting. All three were smiling.

"Kaiza once swam through a heavy current of water in order to stop a dam from overflowing and flooding the town. His determination was so great that he never even grew tired while swimming to stop the dam. In the end, his actions inspired Inari and the boy stuck to him like glue."

Tazuna's tone grew dark. "And then Gato came. Kaiza desperately tried to stop the intervention of that damned man, but Gato had him publicly executed. It was a means of demoralizing the hearts of the people and obtaining total control. It also broke Inari's resolve and spirit, causing him to become the person you see today."

"I think," Kakashi began, "I should go speak with him. Who knows? Maybe I can change his attitude." As Kakashi stood up and went towards the stairs, no one realized a certain redhead was missing from the house.

**VvVvV**

Naruto was gasping with exertion. The clawed gauntlets he had taken from the Demon Brothers were extremely unwieldy on his smaller hands. They could leave deep gashes on tree bark though, which made him want to keep using the things.

They looked pretty cool, too.

Eventually, he fell down backward onto his behind, his arms behind him. Due to their weight, the gauntlets were quickly tiring him out even though he had stamina to spare.

"Trying to learn how to use those claws, are you?" The blonde jinchuriki briefly tensed before he recognized Nagato's voice. The man in question was leaning against a nearby tree, watching Naruto rest. The blonde hadn't even noticed him appear!

Nagato chuckled at Naruto's face. "It might help if, like your sensei said, you get those outfitted for you. They aren't like a sword, so you'll have to continue adjusting them as you grow."

Naruto took the claws off of his hands and shot Nagato a dirty look. "Why did you follow me here? Did Kakashi-sensei send you? It's only been an hour." Naruto had wanted some alone time to cool-off from Inari's outburst.

Nagato shook his head at Naruto's attitude before replying with a question. "Didn't your parents ever tell you of your heritage?"

Naruto appeared somber for a moment before he answered Nagato. "I never had any parents. I've been an orphan ever since I was born. Hokage-jiji told me that my parents were both shinobi that were killed when I was born." Killed by the Kyuubi, according to what he had been told.

"I see," Nagato said, "I guess that's something you and I have in common. My parents were killed when I was young. I was forced to fend for myself on the streets of Amegakure no Sato. I nearly died of starvation several times." The closest he had come to death was when Yahiko and Konan had found him and helped nurse him back to health. It was the beginning of their long-standing friendship.

"Really?" Naruto said, before realizing what Nagato had mentioned before, "Wait, you said I have a heritage? The old man back in Konoha never mentioned anything about that."

"Really? You haven't even gone to the library to look up your clan name?" Nagato frowned when he saw Naruto shake his head. At the very least an orphan should have attempted to find out who they were related to and whether or not their names were authentic.

"I was never really one for reading," the blonde said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He could never sit too still to read a book; Naruto had too much energy for that.

"Well, I should let you know that you do, in fact, have a clan. The Uzumaki Clan-" Nagato kept speaking in order to keep Naruto from verbally making a scene, "-used to be one of the most famous in the nations. Most of the people there were, like you, gifted with great stamina, chakra, and... well, were a bit on the loud side, like you are." The ambassador chuckled at Naruto's annoyed pout.

"If my clan was so famous, what happened to it? Shouldn't I have something for me back in the village? Or maybe... relatives?" Yeah, right. Most of his stuff would probably be taken by children who looked down on him because their parents told them to do so. Plus, in all his years of living, not one person had shown up claiming to be related to him. "Wait, how do you even know this?"

The redhead smiled sadly before answering the blonde's questions, "It was, unfortunately, destroyed. The clan used to rule its own village, _Uzushiogakure no Sato_, and was very well-known for their legendary sealing skills. Because of this, they were feared and eventually destroyed during the Second Great Shinobi War. The remaining clan members left and dropped the name, including me."

This had the intended effect of causing Naruto's eyes to widen, his jaw to drop, and his mouth to try and formulate a response. Nagato knew of them because he used to be a part of that clan, apparently. The red hair was a dead giveaway, too.

"I was not aware that there were any of Uzumaki descent in Konoha, Naruto. You lack the distinctive red hair that is characteristic of those who are Uzumaki." Naruto kept staring at his long-lost relative in stunned silence.

There was the possibility that there were more people who could possibly be related to him, but they were spread throughout the nations, most of which had abandoned their surname. At the very least, he knew where one of his parents had come from. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Are there any more Uzumaki that you know?" Naruto asked. His eyes were wide and hopeful, blue pools of past depression begging Nagato for an answer. It... was not something that Nagato expected. Such eyes in a child Naruto's age was very uncharacteristic. Even if he was an orphan, such eyes were not usually-

Wait.

Nagato felt Naruto's chakra once more and focused on the strange whisker-marks on his face. He would answer the blonde's question first before asking him. "Yes. There is one more who is distantly related to you. You two probably have no direct relation, however."

Naruto asked one more question, "Would it be okay if I could meet that person?" His hands were wringing themselves in front of him. The boy was obviously anxious about wanting to meet someone who he had a tie with. It was slightly disturbing to see such a reaction with the happy-go-lucky blonde he had observed. Most shinobi ended up dealing with loss, but as he very well knew, the younger shinobi should not be forced to deal with these things.

Nagato bobbed his head once. "You could probably meet her in the chunin exams, should your sensei allow you to attend them. Don't prod him too early, though. The exams are not for another two and a half months. Now then," the ambassador continued, "I would like to know why you have such a powerful relationship with the Kyuubi no Yoko."

The eyes Nagato was gifted with let him see clearly into a person's chakra passageway. In Naruto's, he could see the tumultuous amount of chakra raging through his coils, along with the more cynical chakra reserved for the Biju.

At the mention of the Kyuubi, Naruto's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and he backed away from the red-haired man in caution. How did Nagato make the connection?

Nagato held a hand up, making Naruto tense. "Calm down. I am not going to attack you for something as trivial as being a jinchuriki." The fearful eyes Naruto regarded the older man with confirmed his previous guess. "Naruto, I am an excellent sensor. I have a special ability that lets me see the kind of chakra people have within them. In this way, even though it is well-hidden, I can sense the demonic chakra circulating through your system. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Now, you are the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, are you not?"

Naruto nodded carefully. Nagato had pretty much figured him out, so he might as well confess directly. Naruto was a terrible liar anyway; Iruka could attest to that. "Y-Yeah... I'm the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi... you aren't going to attack me or anything, right?"

"Like I said, I'm not going to attack you for being a jinchuriki. It would certainly go against the image my home village is putting up. I do need to know how you feel about your village. Considering your disposition towards your teammates, I doubt you are going to snap and kill everyone."

Naruto raised his eyebrows at that. "I'd never kill anyone from Konoha. Konoha's my home! I want to show everyone that I can be Hokage. I'll make them acknowledge me for who I am. I'm not a weapon!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice growing louder as he spoke. The blonde knew very well from when he looked up his status that jinchuriki were meant to be used as tools or weapons for the betterment of the village. He had no qualms with helping his village, but he didn't want to be seen as just a weapon.

Nagato nodded; it was common for jinchuriki who had been detested all their lives to either act like Naruto or to bear extreme hatred towards the village they remained in. The fact that he was an orphan and still wanted to prove himself to Konoha displayed incredible willpower. In all honesty, Nagato was impressed Naruto hadn't cracked.

"Naruto," Nagato inquired, "What does the village know of your status?" The sorrow and loneliness he had seen before gave him good cause to wonder if his teammates knew about the demon sealed within. They didn't treat him like trash (the Uchiha didn't, in any case), so they either accepted his burden for what it was or did not know about it.

"Most of the adults and older teenagers know, but the shinobi and children of my generation don't. I ended up with no one except Hokage-jiji looking after me." Nagato now had a rough idea of how Naruto was treated. Civilians were likely to fear what they didn't understand and had probably made their children ignore him on purpose. It was likely that the majority of them acted somewhat like his pink-haired teammate.

"Naruto, how long have you known you were a jinchuriki?" Nagato asked, continuing with his questioning.

"A month, maybe..." Naruto responded. The blonde flinched when Nagato's Killing Intent briefly rolled over the area before the man swore under his breath. Naruto blinked confusedly at Nagato's reaction. "Uh, Nagato? What's wrong?"

Nagato gave Naruto a disarming smile before he answered. "Nothing, it's just that jinchuriki are usually informed of what they have sealed within them as soon as they can talk. From what I have seen, you are not trained to be a jinchuriki. You simply are. This leads me to believe your Hokage attempted to give you the chance to live a somewhat normal life."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah. I don't blame Hokage-jiji, but my life was such a pain in the ass. I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I have. I don't want anyone to see me as an annoying brat, either. How can I change their views?" Nagato seemed knowledgeable; Naruto hoped that the man could help him out. He had informed him of his heritage, after all.

Nagato chuckled for a moment, ignoring Naruto's glare. "First of all, stop being such a loudmouth. I know it's your only way of making people notice you, but a ninja isn't supposed to be loud. You don't have to completely be quiet the entire time like your Uchiha friend there, but a quiet ninja is a mysterious ninja. A mysterious ninja is a-"

"-dangerous ninja," Naruto finished with a smirk. He wasn't _that_ stupid, regardless of what people thought of him. He had, after all, picked up a lot of things regarding shinobi during his time in the academy, even if he had failed the math and history courses several times over. "But how do I make people accept me for who I am?"

"How indeed? Maybe the best way to do that is to first get the respect of your generation and make them take you seriously. Many of the older civilians will never accept you, I'm sorry to say. Some people are just stuck in their superstitions. That doesn't mean," Nagato said, noting Naruto's crestfallen face, "That you can't change the opinion of everyone else. Start small, with the people around you, and work your way up."

Naruto nodded, grinning fiercely, "Yeah! I'll start with Sakura-chan and Sasuke!" Nagato had noticed the blonde jinchuriki's infatuation to the girl, so he attempted to... explain why such a pursuit would only lead to useless, predictable results, something that most shinobi- and young teenagers- had enough of. He also suspected that Naruto did not understand his own emotions.

"Why do you like Sakura, Naruto?" The genin scrunched his face up in thought, trying to figure out why he liked the pink-haired girl so much.

"She's a perfect girl!" Naruto finally said, smiling a bit. "Although I like the way she looks, I also like the way that-" Naruto's smile was replaced with a scowl, "-she's trying to get Sasuke-teme's acknowledgment."

Ah, so that was it. It was kind of strange, Nagato thought, that such a contradictory thing was what Naruto was attracted by. At the very least, the boy didn't base his infatuations off of superficiality. The red-haired man had enough perversity from his old sensei. "Naruto, do you believe it is right to make someone do something they don't want to do?" Naruto shook his head at this. "Has Sakura ever shown any attraction towards you?"

Naruto paused for a moment, biting his lip. Years ago, he had wanted to play with the pink-haired girl because he was alone. She denied him and went off to try and play with Sasuke. The fact that she kept going after Sasuke made him begin to like her because she, like him, was seeking acknowledgment. She wasn't so bad on the eyes, either.

Naruto sighed in defeat. "No, she hasn't. I don't think she likes it when I keep asking her for dates." Her responses were usually derogatory and painful, too.

"Just because she doesn't like you in the way she likes Sasuke doesn't mean she can't like you at all," Nagato said. At Naruto's confused look, he continued his train of thought, "You can still be friends with her, Naruto. It's part of your goal to get your fellow shinobi to respect you, right?" Naruto nodded at Nagato's explanation.

"You should focus more on your goals. Trying to pursue an infatuation will only hinder you, especially at your age." Naruto could agree with that. If he kept trying to get dates from Sakura, it would only end up distracting him and her. It would all be for naught anyway since she had never accepted any of his dates. He couldn't really see her accepting any of his dates any time soon anyway.

That didn't mean it didn't hurt. Nagato was blunt about it, but Naruto could tell the man was just trying to help him out. Plus, he didn't really know what to do if Sakura accepted his request. Go on a date and then what? They were only twelve! When he put it that way, Naruto realized that ultimately, pursuing a relationship at his age was not a real priority. It wasn't that smart, either.

"Two more things, Naruto. Use your mind more often. That plan you said you came up with was very cunning- definitely worthy of a shinobi," Nagato said. Naruto smiled bashfully at the praise. The red-haired Ame-nin mentally frowned. To receive a reaction from such a plain compliment really served to prove his previous assumptions, not that they weren't already correct. Nagato wasn't even closely affiliated with the boy.

"The next thing I would like you to know of is part of my ideology." Nagato took a deep breath before pacing back and forth around the clearing. "Naruto, what do you fight for? Who do you fight for?"

Nauto pondered that for a moment. As a shinobi, he fought for acknowledgment in order to avoid being seen as the second coming of the Kyuubi. That was what he fought for, but _who_ did he fight for? Himself? Probably not... he wasn't a selfish person. Maybe he fought for his teammates? During the battle with Aoi, he had probably helped save his teammates when Aoi decided to attack them.

"It is my belief that in order for one to become truly powerful, one must fight for those that are precious to them. My friends and I fight for each other. It is our friendship that gives us strength," Nagato explained. "Do you think this is where true power comes from, Naruto?"

Closing his eyes in thought, Naruto realized that Nagato was probably correct. He had created a ridiculous amount of clones in the effort to save Iruka, all because the man acknowledged him as a great shinobi and a friend. He came to the conclusion that if anyone attempted to hurt his precious people, he would probably fiercely retaliate. "I guess I do, Nagato."

Nagato smiled. Given the way the expressions had played on his face, Naruto had probably been stuck in a situation where he was forced to protect someone close to him. "Don't worry. I believe you will eventually be able to befriend your comrades. When you do, I guarantee that the feeling is much better than you think."

Naruto stood up and faced Nagato before speaking, "Why did you tell me this? Was it because I'm part of the Uzumaki Clan?" Seriously, why would a higher-class shinobi appear and just tell him these things?

"I do not wish to see others suffer. The way you act, as well as the name you carry are laden in suffering. The path your life has gone proves it and yet, from what I have seen, you take it all in stride. That is what made me tell you this, the fact that you hold your head high in the face of adversity. It is something to be admired," Nagato elaborated.

After a moment, Naruto started to walk out of the clearing, Before he left, he flashed Nagato a grin and said, "Thank you, Nagato." Then he began to run back to where he had been staying.

After a moment, Nagato cleared his throat. "Did you get most of that, Kakashi-san?" The white-haired jounin leapt down from a branch and landed behind the Rinnegan user.

"Yeah, I did. I didn't realize that you were part of the old Uzumaki Clan. The red hair and chakra capacity should have tipped me off," Kakashi said, feeling like an idiot since his old sensei's wife was from that very same clan. After chatting with Inari about Naruto's past, he had gone looking for his shortest genin. "Was it really wise to inform him of his clan's legacy?"

"...Yes, I believe it is. It will give him hope to know he at least has people out there that are related to him. The fact that he legally retains the name essentially labels him as an heir, too. No doubt most of the civilians have forgotten about Uzushiogakure." He was certain some of the shinobi had knowledge of Uzushiogakure, but they apparently did not want to share such things.

The jounin seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Thank you not betraying my trust, Nagato-san." Kakashi said, bowing his head.

"It is of no issue, Kakashi-san. I think I shall take my leave. I only wanted to see what the situation was like and it seems as if Gato will be unable to hire any additional jounin."

The red-haired man gave Hatake Kakashi a letter meant for the Hokage. "Give my regards to Hokage-dono, Kakashi-san." Kakashi nodded before taking the letter and pocketing it. He watched as Nagato headed off to Tsunami's house to pick up what little belongings he had left there.

Nagato had to get back on track anyway.

**VvVvV**

Inari could hardly believe it. The bridge was complete and Gato's hired bandits had been run out of town. They hadn't been able to really do anything to begin with. Assaults on the townspeople wouldn't halt progress on the bridge and any attempted assaults on the head carpenter were dealt with harshly.

The boy was more inclined to believe what Naruto had said- not to take things lying down. The jounin-sensei's conversation with him had also helped to change his views. Having no parents and living life alone was unfathomable. He had only lost his father-figure, while Naruto had nearly no one for most of his life.

So, here he was seeing Team Seven off. As soon as the bridge was finished, they had to return to Konoha. He was sad about that, but Naruto had told him to stay happy and that he would come visit as soon as possible.

Team Seven had expected a farewell from Tazuna and his family, but not from most of the town. Their influence in the area was much greater, according to Tazuna. The old drunk had told them that since the bridge was completed, Gato would have to pack up and leave or else he'd risk going under.

A grinning Naruto was waving to the town in the distance, happy that his first C-turned-A-rank mission was a success. "Hey Kakashi-sensei, where did Nagato go?" When Naruto had returned from the chat he and his long-lost relative had, Sasuke and Sakura immediately noticed the familiar way he referred to the older man. No one really knew where he had departed to as well.

Kakashi shrugged, not wanting to tell them of Nagato's intentions. Of course, Kakashi knew that Nagato would be heading to Kirigakure, but he didn't really know why. He was an ambassador, so there probably was business between Nagato and the Mizukage.

Sasuke and Sakura had also noticed that Naruto's attitude had changed slightly. Confidence still flowed off of him, but it became clear he was trying to stop being the loudmouth that sometimes annoyed people. Sakura always enjoyed the minutes of silence that Naruto had, until something would cause him to return to his loud, jubilant self.

When Naruto had told his teammates about his destroyed clan, they had both been shocked. The dead-last fool of their class being part of a once-powerful clan? Sakura had refused to believe it since the academy never mentioned anything about it, but Sasuke had told the blonde that he would ask his family about it once they returned to Konoha.

Kakashi had been completely neutral the entire time, only saying "is that so" when Naruto mentioned it to him. The short genin had never realized that Kakashi had heard the conversation he and Nagato had.

As Tazuna, his family, and most of the land's inhabitants watched the detail of ninja vanish on the horizon, Inari turned to his grandfather. "Hey gramps, what are we going to name this bridge?"

"I think... The Great Naruto Bridge sounds fine. The brat was the one that helped convince everyone else to continue on with the mission. His clones were a nice bit of entertainment, too." That got a collective chuckle from all the men (and a few women) who had worked on the bridge. Watching clones splash into the water did not get old. "Does anyone disagree?"

The crowd remained silent, prompting Tazuna to laugh loudly. "Then it's settled! We'll name it the Great Naruto Bridge after the brat who managed to help breathe life onto this island!"

Even though they were quite a distance away, Team Seven heard the collective cries of the inhabitants of the Land of Waves.

**VvVvV**

Screams of frustration from a short, fat man could be heard throughout the ship. With the bridge complete, the Land of Waves was a lost cause. It would only lead to a loss of money and business. Finding missing-nin took time and establishing a contract took even more time.

The ship he was on steadily plowed through the sea; the previous land he had wormed his way into was lying on the horizon behind him. Most of the mercenaries had moved out of Wave. He could not, would not pay them now that he was going under. They couldn't go after him anyway. Pillaging the town would be a waste of time since he technically had all of their money.

With him gone and his company rooted out of their home, the townspeople would reclaim their ships, their lives, and their accursed hope. Hope was such a disgusting thing. He wanted none of it. He had thought he had crushed their damned hope under his heel.

But it doesn't always work like that. A troupe of ninja show up and everything is fine and dandy, sunshine and roses. What a pain in the ass. From what rumors had ran through the town, the protection detail was from Konoha.

He didn't have anything against individual villages. He liked them. Oftentimes they would buy his junk without giving a damn where he got it. Konoha rooted him out once. They surely wouldn't do so again. What were the chances of him being found by Konoha a second time?

Well, it didn't matter. He could have his revenge if he wanted, but now was not the time. If Konoha ended up being a thorn in his side, then so be it.

In the end, it didn't really matter. Money could buy even the most despicable of things.

Things that just so happened to be his speciality.

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><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: Nagato's explained some things to Naruto, obviously. Naruto won't become quiet and all. He might be introspective for a while, but it's just... not Naruto if he's not loud every now and then. It's part of what makes him change people. Or maybe that's his determination, because that's sure as hell never going away.**

**And yes, I realize the Wave Arc was short. I apologize again for that. It's just really overdone.  
><strong>


	6. Upgraded

**A/N: So I've actually got some criticism and I'm glad that people are seeing to fix my mistakes. It's nice to know and helps my writing ability.**

**Anyway, read and review this chapter. I couldn't really get a good thing going for the last part, but oh well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

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><p>Chapter Six: Upgraded<p>

Kakashi was walking alongside his students, observing how they were acting. After saying good-bye and traveling across the new bridge, Team Seven headed straight back on the path towards Konohagakure. Their trip would take several more hours before they reached the gates of their home, but that wasn't a big deal.

What Kakashi thought was a big deal was how Naruto was acting. The blonde-haired genin was acting uncharacteristically quiet. If Sasuke or Sakura noticed it, they weren't making it known. Sakura was fawning all over Sasuke while the second Uchiha prodigy was doing his best not to be overwhelmed by the fangirlish kunoichi.

The masked jounin had a good feeling of what Naruto was thinking about. When he had told them all about his clan, he was a bit subdued, yet still loud if provoked. Now though, it was obvious that the boy was thinking about why no one had told him he belonged to a clan and just why a stranger had to tell him.

Inwardly sighing, Kakashi decided to take matters into his own hands. The Hokage had not wanted anything tying Naruto to Uzushiogakure out of fear of his parentage being leaked or even worse, a kidnapping attempt. The seals the old Uzumaki Clan created were feared for good reason, after all.

Of course, if Naruto was kidnapped, the reason wouldn't be with his heritage of the Uzumaki Clan. Probably not.

"So," Kakashi began, "What's going on in that head of yours?" Kakashi slowed his pace so that he and Naruto were a short distance away from Sasuke and Sakura. It was enough to keep their conversation relatively private.

Naruto turned to his sensei with a troubled expression. "I don't know, Kakashi-sensei. I just... why didn't the old man tell me where I'm supposed to have come from? I don't know anything at all about my family history and I don't even think keeping it hidden was supposed to help me."

Yep, Kakashi hit it spot on, but he couldn't blame the jinchuriki. The life he'd gone through was enough to make anyone crack like an egg. "You're talking about your clan, aren't you?" When Naruto nodded, Kakashi hummed in thought before continuing. "Uzushiogakure to Sato should be taught in academy classes today, but it's not."

Naruto frowned at this before blinking in surprise. He hadn't mentioned the hidden village his clan was from, just the fact that they were powerful and thus, destroyed. Kakashi gave Naruto an eye-smile upon seeing the confused expression on his face. "I heard your conversation with Nagato. Don't go nuts, but I _am_ your jounin-sensei. It's my job to keep you safe until you can properly defend yourself."

Despite his previous demeanor and Naruto's attempts to change his brash attitude, the young jinchuriki couldn't keep himself from shouting out how he could already properly defend himself. Kakashi merely rolled his eye in response.

"But yes, I did overhear your conversation with Nagato. And now for the Sandaime Hokage." When Naruto heard 'Hokage', his attention was completely on Kakashi, not that it wasn't already. "Naruto, I'd like to ask you a question. Where did you get that hideous orange jumpsuit?"

"Hey! It's not hideous..." Naruto liked his orange jumpsuit mainly because the Hokage had let him pick it out and because he insisted on the bright color in order to grab attention.

Dark colors be damned, bright orange was an awesome color. If he could hide from people while wearing the eye-catching color, then it served to show off his skills, right?

When Kakashi gave Naruto a deadpan stare in response, the boy huffed, "Fine, it's hideous. But it has my favorite color and the Hokage insisted on getting clothes with this weird symbol on it." Naruto pointed to the spiral symbol on his arms just below the shoulders. Come to think of it, the Hokage always placed emphasis on that symbol whenever he and Naruto went out to buy clothes when he was younger.

"That symbol," Kakashi explained, gesturing towards the spiral, "Is part of the Uzumaki Clan's emblem. The shinobi of Konoha used to have strong ties with the Uzumaki Clan. To symbolize that, all Konoha shinobi wear that emblem as a gesture of friendship. Even today, after Uzushiogakure has collapsed, we still have the spiral adorned on our clothing. From what you said about the Hokage insisting on getting clothing with that spiral was him indirectly telling you about your clan."

Naruto's eyes widened at that and his heart lifted slightly. In hindsight, he had never really asked the Hokage about his surname, always opting to instead try and get something out of the old man about his parents. To know that the Sandaime was trying to prod him into knowing his clan helped put his reservations to rest.

"And let me guess," Kakashi added, "You never asked about your last name, right?" Kakashi chuckled at the sheepish look Naruto gave him. Then the blonde jogged forward a bit, catching up to his teammates and joining the conversation.

Or at least trying to.

Kakashi had a small smile under his mask as he watched Sakura berate Naruto for interrupting her 'alone-time' with Sasuke.

**VvVvV**

Naruto walking along the streets of Konoha, enjoying his day off. Kakashi had told the genin of Team Seven to go home and rest, as well as to take the following day off. Naruto planned on taking full advantage of that...

...by finding a weapons store that wouldn't run him out. Some of the owners would glare at him while others would just shout and kick him out, muttering 'demon brat' all the way through. He was glad his teammates weren't with him or that they never seemed to notice the glares directed towards him while they were doing D-rank missions. He didn't want to reveal anything just yet- he himself had only found out a short while ago.

So Naruto figured that he ended up being extremely lucky when a bun-haired kunoichi with a a pink blouse and green pants noticed the two clawed gauntlets hanging from his pouch and encouraged- no, _forced_- him to enter her family's own weapon shop. She then proceeded to admonish him for having such large gauntlets, to which he defended by saying were looted from enemy shinobi.

"Could you stop giving me that look? It's kind of weird..." Naruto said, inching away from the kunoichi. "What's your name, anyway? I'm Uzumaki Naruto." The blonde held out his hand to the taller girl.

"Tenten." She took hold of his hand and shook firmly, giving him a smirk in the process. "Now, I'd love to know exactly how you got these from enemy shinobi. You look like a rookie. Plus, who wears something that bright?"

Naruto gave her a deadpan look in return. "You're wearing bright pink." Tenten rolled her eyes and urged him to continue with what he had been saying. "My team and I were meant to escort a drunk carpenter to the Land of Wave. On our way, we got ambushed by these two Kiri shinobi wearing these things-" He pointed a thumb at the gauntlets, "-and our sensei beat them. I decided to take them since they couldn't really do anything about it. Plus, they look cool," he finished.

"You know, I could probably get my dad to get you better fitting ones." At this, Naruto's gave her a puppy-eye look, causing Tenten to giggle. "Yeah, but they're kind of expensive, especially if you're going to be growing." Naruto kept up his adorable expression, a wide grin on his face.

"I'll pay whatever! I just want to use these things!" Naruto exclaimed. Tenten rolled her brown eyes at his exuberance. "Oh, and... do you know how to use them?" At Tenten's blank look, he elaborated, "I mean like a fighting-style or something."

"I'm going to have to get my dad. He should be in the back somewhere. Wait here, would ya?" Tenten walked off behind a counter with a register and into a door nearby. Naruto took this time to examine the store.

There were racks and shelves full of various weapons, including kunai, shuriken, and packs of senbon. There were also bo staves, swords, and brass knuckles, as well as other kinds of weapons. Although interesting, Naruto had already decided to use the clawed gauntlets.

The sound of an opening door caught Naruto's attention. A large, tall man with balding brown hair and brown eyes followed Tenten out. The man was extremely burly, wearing a simple white shirt and blue shorts. He looked relaxed and gave Naruto a wide smile when he saw him.

"Hey Naruto, let me introduce you to Iwao, my dad. Naruto, dad. Dad, Naruto." The tall man walked right up to Naruto and looked him over. The blonde could only gulp at the man's hard evaluation.

"He's not colorblind, is he?" This question caused Naruto to slap a palm to his face. The man's deep chuckling rang throughout the air. "I'm just kidding, kid. Welcome to my weapon shop. My daughter here tells me you have something from Kiri that you want me to take a look at."

Naruto nodded and took the gauntlets from his pouch. He handed them to the burly man, who examined them for a moment. "Well, these are definitely from Kiri. Meant to be strapped on, connected to a chain, and the metal can be poisoned to boot. These things are pretty sturdy, too."

"So can I exchange them for a pair that fit me better?" Naruto asked. Iwao glanced at the boy before nodding. Rather than jumping up, Naruto pumped his fist in the air and gave Tenten's father a large grin.

"The thing is, since you're rather short-" Iwao ignored the indignant pout, "-I need to get a special pair for you." Naruto gave Iwao a confused look. "Don't worry, it won't be too expensive if you trade in those gauntlets. Now, since you're probably going to grow, I'm going to get you a modifiable pair. They will be able to be loosened or tightened in order to fit your wrist, and the claws themselves will be flexible enough to allow for full mobility. You might have to be careful while wearing them, since I doubt you want to cut up random people."

Naruto agreed, the grin not faltering from his face. He didn't think he would be able to find a person who would sell him a weapon without running him out. The man was kind and didn't seem to bear any ill-will towards him. "Is there a particular fighting style I should use when I get the gauntlets?"

"Probably not since they just augment whatever you do, although I'd suggest tailoring your fighting style to fit them. Hell, if you get really good at using your chakra affinity, you can make the claws cause even more damage. Explore and play around a bit." Naruto bobbed his head up and down, resolving to ask his sensei about chakra affinities the next day.

"When can I buy them?" Naruto asked. He was already excited to use the new weapons and hoped that he could get them quickly. He had to teach himself how to use them correct, after all. That's when his clones would come in handy.

"Day after tomorrow," the man said. "Make sure to bring your gauntlets and a wallet." Naruto nodded. Seeing as there was nothing else to do in the store, he bowed to the owner and waved good-bye to Tenten before running out.

As Tenten headed to the counter to finish up for the day, she heard her father mutter something about never thinking to see a pair of Kiri gauntlets again.

**VvVvV**

(Uchiha Clan Residence)

Sasuke grunted as his older brother picked him in to forehead. When Sasuke had returned from his C-rank turned A-rank mission, his parents had made him tell them everything that happened. They thought it was just a simple escort mission, but when he had told them that they were attacked by missing-nin, his mother immediately threw a fit.

He had shrugged everything off, telling that they were fine and that Kakashi had protected them. With some prodding from Itachi, Sasuke had also told them about the plan Naruto had pulled and how it both saved them and distracted a jounin-level missing-nin enough for their sensei to defeat him.

Fugaku was impressed. Itachi was amused. Mikoto was still pissed.

And so, Sasuke had received a scolding from his mother, despite the fact that she couldn't really do anything about it since the battle had already happened. She let her youngest son off with a warning and an order to rest. It wasn't every day that you fought a high level shinobi and lived to tell the tale.

At first, Sasuke had tried to relax, but then his brother began to amuse himself by annoying him. Itachi wasn't out on missions and so he took his time bothering his little brother. Sasuke didn't mind... much. One last poke to the head reminded him of when he had asked his parents about Uzushiogakure.

He never really expected a sad expression to appear on his mother's face. His father had no real opinion and left the explanation to his wife and elder son.

According to his mother, Uzushiogakure no Sato was a hidden village that was extremely well-known for its sealing prowess. Unfortunately, it was that sealing prowess that led to it being feared and eventually destroyed in the Second Great Shinobi War, with most of its members spreading throughout the nations.

Itachi had told his brother that the spiral symbols on the chunin and jounin flak-jackets were meant to symbolize the friendship between Konoha and Uzushio.

One last poke to the forehead pissed Sasuke off. He could take it when his brother did it out of habit, but this was just because Itachi thought it was funny. "All right, nii-san. We're going outside to train."

Itachi let himself be dragged by his younger brother outside. Shishui was out on a mission and he had no desire to do D-rank missions for the moment.

Sasuke took up a picture-perfect taijutsu stance and rushed at Itachi.

_He's getting better_, Itachi thought. He inwardly smiled at that fact and then proceeded to pick his younger brother apart in an effort to help him erase his weaknesses and point out his flaws.

**VvVvV**

The day following their day off, the three genin of Team Seven found themselves at Training Field Three with their sensei. He had only been an hour late this time, so Sakura refrained from shouting at him. His little orange book was conspicuously absent as well.

"I hope you all had a nice day off. I know I did, but a woman yelled at me for reading while I was lost on the road of life..." This caused Sasuke to smirk in realization of what happened while Naruto and Sakura just looked confused. Kakashi then brought out three slips of paper from his pouch. "I'm sure you three know what I'm holding in my hands."

Sasuke and Sakura had understanding looks on their faces while Naruto was confused. While the boy was attentive, the lack of knowledge on so many things caused Kakashi to think about what his academy teachers had been teaching him. More likely than not, they neglected him and he stopped trying as a result.

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, what is chakra made of?" Naruto quickly responded with the definition Kakashi had drilled into him before the team had taken their first C-rank mission. "You are correct, chakra is made up of your physical energy and spiritual energy. However, there are also two ways to mould chakra: Nature transformation and shape transformation. Shape transformation isn't something you'll be getting into for a while, so I won't be explaining much about it. Nature transformation is the art of changing your chakra into its innate type of chakra nature.

"There are five basic chakra natures: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water. Sasuke can use Fire-based jutsu, meaning that he has either trained extensively in that nature or has an affinity for Fire. I find it likely to be the latter, since he comes from the Uchiha Clan. If you have an affinity for a certain element, then it is likely that those jutsu will naturally come easier to you and consequently become more powerful. It is still very possible to use other elemental jutsu that aren't your affinity, but those will likely not come to you quite as easily as your main nature."

The masked jounin paused, waiting for any questions. Sakura's hand rose up in the air first. "Kakashi-sensei, what about jutsu that use elements like Wood?"

"Those are usually based on kekkei genkei, which come from a bloodline. Most of them are combinations of two or even three elements. Now, anything else?" Naruto's hand popped in the air. Kakashi fixed him with a look of acknowledgment.

"Yesterday I was at a weapons shop and the owner said that I could use my chakra affinity on my weapons. What did he mean by that?" Kakashi raised the eyebrow of his one visible eye. What the man had been talking about was Chakra Flow. If Naruto had either of the natures his parents had, then his weapons would become extremely useful.

"What the man was talking about is something called Chakra Flow. It requires training in your affinity and lets you flow the elemental chakra through your weapons or even your body. Each element does something different." Kakashi took note of the gleam in Naruto's eyes and knew that the gauntlets he had jacked from the Kiri missing-nin were going to be replaced. The blonde would probably attempt to channel chakra into the clawed gauntlets, too.

"Now then," Kakashi began, getting the attention of his students, "Each of you take a slip of paper and channel your chakra into it." He handed the slips of paper to the three genin and waited.

Sasuke's paper crumpled, which surprised Kakashi. The jounin had expected it to ignite, but not all Uchiha Clan members had a fire affinity. The boy's expression gave Kakashi notice that Sasuke already knew what his nature was.

Sakura's paper turned damp, signifying an affinity for water. Kakashi didn't really know what to think about that.

Naruto's, however, split cleanly in two. The blonde had the same affinity as his mother. He also had an affinity that could be used to make his weapons extremely powerful, not to mention efficient.

"From what I see here, Sasuke has a lightning affinity. Sakura has a water affinity and Naruto has an affinity for wind." Here Kakashi paused, wondering where to go from there. Sasuke could probably use a lightning jutsu, but he wanted Sakura to focus more on genjutsu. Finding out her nature was just a way of understanding what type of ninjutsu she would excel in the best.

Naruto probably had it the worst off. Kakashi could only use a few wind-based elemental chakra, but he could also start him on Chakra Flow. The blonde would probably need it too, considering the strange weapons he had taken a liking to.

"I've made up my mind on what to teach you three. Sasuke, I think I have a lightning jutsu for you that I want you to become proficient in. Sakura," Kakashi said, turning his attention to the pink-haired girl, "Water jutsu are very limited when there isn't a source of water nearby. You can carry a source of water with you, but it's not very effective in battles. Instead, I'm going to get you started on genjutsu theory. Your chakra control is proficient enough for you to learn it."

Kakashi turned his attention to the shortest member of the team. "Naruto, I'm not well-versed in wind jutsu since my affinity is lightning, but I can teach you a relatively simple wind jutsu. I'm also assuming you want to start on Chakra Flow, right?" Naruto bobbed his head up and down, already anticipating what his sensei wanted him to do.

Before telling Naruto what to do, Kakashi pulled a scroll out of his pouch and handed it to Sakura, explaining that it would help her understand how to utilize genjutsu to the best of her current ability., as well as teaching her one D-rank illusion.

Kakashi created a shadow clone and split Sasuke and Naruto up, intending on teaching them both separately. The real Kakashi went with Sasuke to teach him the Raiton: Thunder Burn, which would fire a volley of lightning bolts at whatever the hands were aiming at. It wasn't extremely chakra intensive, so Kakashi was confident Sasuke would be able to use it in a pinch.

As for Naruto, the clone demonstrated the Fuuton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough), which was a wind jutsu capable of blowing down many things in its path depending on how much chakra was pushed into it.

While Sakura was reading her scroll, she sauntered over to where Sasuke was training and watched as he fired lightning bolts into a nearby tree, splitting and smashing the bark in the process.

She didn't feel like watching Naruto tear through a small grove of trees with his chakra-laced wind. Kakashi was impressed when that happened, noticing that Naruto was pushing a large amount of chakra in the jutsu. However, the jutsu failed more often than not, something that the blonde wanted to rectify.

When the jounin instructed everyone to stop, he made them all promise to continue chakra control exercises. The exercises would continue to help their control and reserves, allowing them to more easily use their jutsu and to use their jutsu more often. With that, he sent Sasuke and Sakura off before stopping Naruto from leaving.

"Naruto, I wanted to show you Chakra Flow mainly because I believe you can master it the quickest and use it to its best potential. Both Sasuke and Sakura do not use any weapons bar kunai and shuriken, whereas you will be using a variation of those gauntlets you took." Kakashi paused and picked up a leaf that was on the grassy ground, ignoring the excited expression on Naruto's face.

"Now, what will help you with using wind chakra with your weapons and help you with your control is this very simple task. I want you to cut this leaf down the middle with your wind chakra." Kakashi handed the leaf to a confused looking Naruto. The blonde held the leaf in his hand while adopting a focused look.

After a moment Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Kakashi-sensei, do you have any tips for me?" The masked jounin thought for a moment before remembering something Asuma had said.

"Wind chakra must be sharpened by splitting it in two and then bringing the two together, thus forming an edge. I'd also suggest using your clones to speed up training." Naruto nodded and formed twenty shadow clones, each running to grab a leaf.

Kakashi left the boy to his own devices, knowing that he would complete the exercise within weeks instead of months.

**VvVvV**

"These... are awesome." Naruto smirked at Tenten while examining the new gauntlets he had received from her father. The clawed gauntlets were somewhat expensive even after he had traded in the Kiri gauntlets, but he felt like it was a worthy trade.

After Kakashi had left, Naruto had attempted to saw through a leaf using wind chakra... and failed. Several times. Even his copious usage of clones had him gaining little ground. When Iwao saw Naruto walk in his store with a leaf in his hand, the man was surprised that the blonde had a wind affinity.

What Naruto's masked sensei had failed to mention was that wind, despite not being flashy, was labeled as the 'offensive element'. It was due to wind's 'invisibility' and extreme cutting power that gave it its name. Iwao also informed Naruto that his affinity was extremely rare, which made Naruto bite his tongue in order to prevent himself from bragging.

When the transaction was made, Tenten's father had explained how the gauntlets worked. The gauntlets themselves were a dark gray and the outside was made from light, sturdy metal that, like most shinobi weapons, were capable of having chakra flow through them. The claws protruded about an inch from the fingers, yet the fingers of the gauntlets were flexible enough for Naruto to retain his ability to form hand seals.

The part of the gauntlets that covered his wrists had lighter-colored bands on them, which Iwao said could have his chakra channeled into in order to tighten and loosen them. In addition, the gauntlets had been tuned to Naruto's chakra in order to prevent random tightening or loosening. This allowed for a secure fit on Naruto's hands and wrists.

The inside of the clawed gauntlets, with the exception of the claws, had some kind of thin leather in order to prevent discomfort. The leather was also perforated to allow Naruto's hands to 'breathe', as Iwao had put it. Once Naruto had put them on and wiggled his fingers and wrists around, Tenten had insisted on dragging him out to a training field before the sun completely set.

So here he was, at Training Field Nine, which was nearly a duplicate of Training Field Three except that it wasn't near a river and didn't have any training posts situated in it. Tenten had told him that she was training in the use of weapons and wanted to see how Naruto would fight.

Tenten took out a scroll and unsealed a foot and a half long plain ninjato, holding it with both her hands on the black hilt.

The bun-haired kunoichi returned Naruto's smirk before baiting him, "You know, you won't last very long against me. You're still a rookie and I've been a genin for a year." Naruto furrowed his brow and frowned. He balled his fists in order to prevent the gauntlets from causing harm to his body as he ran.

Then he charged forward, forming the seal necessary for his Kage Bunshin. From one Naruto sprang four, all five charging their opponent. When they reached the girl, the real one backed away and let his clones attack. Tenten was surprised to find that the clones were very real, but handily dispatched them all with a formidable display of kenjutsu.

"I didn't think your sensei would teach you how to make solid clones. Mine doesn't even teach my team that," Tenten said. In response, Naruto formed an additional half dozen clones, which all swarmed her. Spamming clones was always helpful and the bits of memory they gave him helped him see how she fought.

It didn't really mean he could defeat her, though. She was much faster than him and the ninjato had the advantage of reach over his gauntlets. Thus it didn't surprise him when his clones were quickly defeated.

He charged in once more and formed two more clones, which caused Tenten to groan. This time he decided to jump in the fight, already having an idea of what he wanted to do.

Tenten was surprised when Uzumaki Naruto, the rookie genin she had just met, was able to create solid clones like they were nothing and still be able to actively fight. She hadn't met anyone able to do that before. Still, she was always trying to improve herself as a way of showing that kunoichi weren't weak and having a diversity of sparring partners always helped.

As the clones and the real Naruto surrounded Tenten, they began to punch and swipe with their gauntlets. Naruto had thought that he would hurt the kunoichi, but she again demonstrated her skill with the ninjato and was able to parry his jabs, swipes, and slashes. When one of the clones attempted to punch her side from what seemed to be a blind spot, she twisted her body, slamming the hilt of the weapon on the clone, dispelling it.

For Naruto, he just couldn't land a hit on Tenten. After having his clones scout out her fighting ability, he thought he could win by taking advantage of her blind spots, but apparently not. After a few more minutes, she dispelled the final clone and knocked him on his ass. She then resealed her ninjato into a scroll and helped the blonde up.

"You're still years from beating me Naruto," Tenten said, holding out her hand. Although Naruto lost, he shook her hand in good sport. "Maybe when you get better, I can take you on."

"I'll definitely get better the next time we fight. I'll actually be able to use these things properly, too." The blonde gave her a smile before his gaze was drawn to the setting sun. His stomach then rumbled, causing him to blush in embarrassment.

Tenten giggled at that. "Yeah, yeah. I should be going too. My dad's probably packing up the shop right now. I'm going to hold you to that though," Tenten stated. "You better give me a good fight next time we meet up. Knocking you and your clones on your asses is fun, but I like a challenge."

"It's a promise," Naruto replied. He gave her a two finger salute and walked off, intent on getting some food from Ichiraku's.

**VvVvV**

From his perch on a tree branch in Training Field Three, Itachi watched his brother launch lightning bolts from his fingertips at a mass of clones wearing strange clawed gauntlets. Itachi also knew that there were another mob of clones concentrating on the leaves in their hands a distance away. He had informed Team Seven's sensei that he would be dropping by and observing what the team was doing out of curiosity.

A ways off from the battleground was a pink-haired kunoichi reading a scroll. He didn't pay her much attention, only knowing her name from when Sasuke had told him about his teammates.

A blast of fire caught his attention as most of the clones were incinerated. The lightning jutsu Kakashi had taught Sasuke was useful, but it wasn't really meant to be used on hordes of clones that were swarming you. An area-wide fire jutsu was better suited for that purpose. Still, he was pleased to see that Sasuke was learning new things.

His mother had been efficient in... _motivating_ Kakashi to teach his team.

Itachi returned his attention to the fight to see Kakashi call it off. The clones nearby dispelled themselves in orderly intervals. Sasuke was visibly breathing hard from repeatedly using jutsu, but Naruto still seemed eager to fight, even after memory backlash and being covered head-to-toe in soot. Stamina aside, the boy was a chakra battery, courtesy of the Nine-Tailed menace sealed within him.

He did have a reason for wanting to observe his brother and his brother's teammates aside from finding out how they were progressing, though. His mother had told him to invite the team over for a casual dinner in order to meet Sasuke's family. Itachi figured that Sakura's family, being civilians, wouldn't allow the 'demon brat' to _desecrate_ their home.

In his opinion they were ignorant fools. Jinchuriki protected their villages from the demon within, but if the jinchuriki snapped from abuse, who would protect the village from them? Fortunately, he couldn't ever see Naruto acting like that. His ties with the Sandaime Hokage were likely too strong for that to happen.

All three of the genin were now heading off alongside their sensei to start their D-rank missions for the day. Itachi followed, unnoticed by the younger ninja. The slight shifting of Kakashi's body gave notice that he knew where Itachi was.

The three went to the Hokage Tower, signed up for a D-rank mission, and then left. Itachi also noticed that Kakashi wasn't doing much of anything. He was simply reading his book. The elder Uchiha wondered if the genin were the ones picking the missions. If they were, then it already showed a surprising amount of responsibility.

Most of the time, the jounin-sensei of a team would select a mission that he or she thought was suitable for their team's skill level. The fact that Kakashi was letting his team go on its own path already showed his trust in their abilities. There were limits however, as Itachi knew that after the C-rank turned A-rank they previously took, Kakashi would be very strict if they attempted to take another C-rank.

So when Team Seven burst from the doors with Sakura shouting about how annoying it was to deliver things for people, Itachi knew that Kakashi had pressed his authority. Some D-ranks weren't so bad; helping a few people who were hurt and needed help wasn't a terrible thing to do.

Itachi picked up something interesting as he watched the three genin split up with their designated deliveries. Naruto, although he seemed to go out of his way to get the most work, also attempted to complete his portion quickly.

Frowning slightly, Itachi took off after Naruto. The blonde handed off what he needed to deliver extremely quickly, usually handing the things to their buyers before scampering off. To Itachi, it was fairly obvious what was happening.

Naruto's efforts were entirely dedicated to having his team not think of him as a liability. In addition, the work he was piling on himself was an attempt to demonstrate to the people around him that he was someone who wanted to help.

The speed at which he handed out the packages to their civilian buyers was meant to hide himself as to not have those particular civilians reject the package. There was also a slight hesitation before he handed the packages off.

Then Naruto delivered a package to a shinobi's house. The shinobi was fairly young and held an air of indifference towards the boy. The blonde, upon seeing how the buyer would not resent him, gave the man a bow and left. _Ah_, Itachi thought, _He's ignoring the older population and aiming to change the opinions of those who are younger_.

After an hour of confirming his suspicions, Itachi waited until Team Seven came back together and retrieved their mission pay. He still had to inform Sasuke and then his team.

With a quick Shunshin (Body Flicker), Itachi appeared in front of Team Seven, causing the three genin to jump in surprise.

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><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: Tenten doesn't have any canon family, does she?**

**I also hope I did the freaking gauntlets justice. I just looked up the Daedric Gauntlets from Skyrim and based it off of those.**

**The Raiton: Thunder Burn is an actual jutsu used in some Naruto video game that I don't care to remember the name about. It just launches a volley of lightning bolts so I slightly modified it for use.**


	7. Once More

**A/N: Please tell me what you think. Any questions, comments, concerns? Leave a review or PM me. I'm not perfect, after all.**

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><p>Chapter Seven: Once More<p>

Uchiha Fugaku stood tall with his arms crossed, decked out in a dark green kimono as his youngest son introduced his teammates. His wife, in her dark blue dress and apron, had prepared dinner for Team Seven, bar Kakashi. The genin's sensei just told his students to be on their best behavior and then vanished.

That's not to say that Fugaku was being the stern father he usually was. In fact, he had a small smile pasted on his face and was currently trying to hold back from laughing like a little girl at Sasuke's situation with Sakura. The girl was overly respectful and her infatuation to his son was extremely blatant. She was even wearing higher-class clothing even though her team had just returned from D-rank missions.

It reminded him of when Itachi was in the academy.

When Sasuke introduced Naruto, Fugaku had to wonder just how bad the jinchuriki's life had been. He was well-aware of ANBU's actions towards the boy, considering his son had been part of them. Back then, he hadn't paid much attention to the boy, unless when the Konoha Military Police were victims of a prank. Even then, Itachi and Shishui when usually catch the boy and make him clean up the mess.

Most of the time, however, the boy's last academy sensei, Umino Iruka, caught him first. How a boy of his age was able to hide from and outrun ANBU was beyond him, yet his old sensei always managed to find him first. His ridiculous stamina seemed to help him in that regard.

Fugaku also had to wonder how the hell Naruto's heritage was kept secret. Really, all someone would have to do was compare him to a photo of the Yondaime Hokage. Hell, they could look at the gigantic stone monument carved into the nearby mountains and then look back at him.

It likely had something to do with the law concerning what he held. That and the civilians probably did not want to even explore the possibility of the _demon_ being related to their esteemed hero. Common relationships regarding jinchuriki were not very well known to civilians. Fear bred ignorance, especially in the chaotic times after the Kyuubi attack.

Plus, Naruto didn't even act like his father. His father was cool, calm, and collected whenever Fugaku had worked with him. He always had a level head even in the worst of scenarios, something that helped him get that tacky hat. From the times when he had previously seen Naruto, the boy had acted much like his mother.

The Uchiha patriarch shifted his mind back to reality and inclined his head in acknowledgment of Naruto's introduction. He gave the jinchuriki a small smile to boot. Then, Mikoto led them all to a large table with plates of food splayed out.

They all took their seats, with Fugaku sitting next to his wife and eldest son and Sasuke sitting next to Itachi. Sakura was next to Sasuke and Naruto was next to Sakura. Fugaku wondered if Naruto had ever tasted home cooking before.

His subsequent reaction informed him that he hadn't. After a quick "itadakimasu" from Mikoto, everyone, including Naruto, began to eat at a leisurely pace. Naruto looked like he wanted to scarf the food down given his expression of delight, but was apparently forcing himself to be polite.

The meal went by in a respectable silence. Once Mikoto and Itachi had cleared the table and brought tea, Fugaku leveled his gaze on his son's teammates. "So," he began, "I heard that you two are part of my son's genin team."

Glad to be rid of the detestable quiet (in his own opinion), Naruto took it upon himself to respond. "Yeah, Fugaku-" Naruto stopped right there, giving the Uchiha patriarch a questioning look. Fugaku chuckled, figuring that Naruto was at least trying to be respectful.

"You may call me Fugaku-san, Naruto. Same to you, Sakura." Fugaku nodded to both of them in turn. "Although, I suppose I should be thanking you, Naruto. Sasuke told us about the distraction you caused on your A-rank mission. It's not often you save a comrade's life from an A-ranked missing-nin."

"It is not something fresh genin should be doing either," Mikoto said in a clipped tone. "I can't believe you three ended up with missing-ninja attempting to kill you on your first escort mission. You really should all count yourself lucky Hatake Kakashi was there to protect you." She still seemed to be irate at how the mission ended up.

"Yet, from what Sasuke told us, you three managed to deliver the land from tyranny," Itachi added, referring to how the bridge was completed at the Land of Waves. "That alone is shows that you did a job well done."

Naruto blushed at the praise and rubbed the back of his head. Sakura just gave them a small smile.

"All right, enough of the mission. I've heard enough of it from Sasuke-kun over here," Mikoto said, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes in response. "What is Kakashi-san teaching you three for now?"

"Some jutsu he wants us to become good at. He's also starting Sakura on genjutsu," Sasuke replied. "He's given Naruto a leaf to cut with his affinity, but the dead-last isn't doing too much, eh dead-last?" Sasuke finished with a smirk towards Naruto.

The blonde jinchuriki merely pointed a thumb to himself and said, "Hey, Kakashi-sensei said that I could complete it pretty soon if I keep trying with my clones. I've already cut through half of it and it's only been two weeks so far. Kakashi-sensei said that's really quick progress."

"What do you mean by 'clones', Naruto? Regular bunshin don't help much in training except for perhaps distraction." Fugaku couldn't really see Naruto using regular bunshin anyway. He simply had too much chakra to use, like all jinchuriki. Although, he was sure he was forgetting something...

"Naruto uses shadow clones, tou-san. He can pump out a lot of them during training and whatever they learn, he learns. It's how he's getting down his training so quickly," Sasuke explained.

Ah, of course. That was it. Sasuke had told him how Naruto had used the clones to help save his teammates and protect their escort. He was surprised he knew of the secret to using shadow clones. Fugaku didn't think Kakashi would let Naruto know for fear of causing him intense memory backlash due to overuse.

"Those clones of yours are sure to help you, Naruto. I think I'm more surprised by the fact that you have an affinity toward wind. Did anyone tell you how rare that affinity is in Konoha?" Naruto nodded, remembering what Iwao had told him. "I believe the only other wind user in this village is Sarutobi Asuma."

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei told me to go ask Asuma-sensei if I needed any more help with the exercise he gave me. I'll finish it soon, though."

Fugaku nodded. The Uchiha patriarch definitely believed he would, given how fast training was sped up via shadow clone. Once he did cut the leaf with only his chakra, then his sensei would probably have him flow it through whatever weapon he had. "Naruto, what weapon are you going to flow your chakra through? Most wind users usually choose a weapon to flow their chakra through since wind is an extremely offensive element."

Naruto, still wearing his jumpsuit from the day's missions, brought out a pair of clawed gauntlets from his pouch. Itachi raised an eyebrow at the unconventional pair of weapons, while Fugaku hummed in thought. Mikoto looked somewhat miffed that Naruto had actually brought weapons with him.

"I've never seen anyone use smaller-scale gauntlets such as those," Fugaku said. He really hadn't. The gauntlets had sharp claws at the ends, meaning that slashing or knife strikes would deal heavy damage. Plus, the metal would hurt like a bitch if Naruto punched someone with them.

"Well," Naruto said, "Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei don't call me the number one unpredictable ninja in Konoha for nothing!" The corners of Fugaku's mouth twitched. He'd seen his share of Naruto's unpredictability enough over the years.

"You know," Itachi said offhandedly, "Wind jutsu and fire jutsu can be combined for explosive results." From their expressions, Fugaku could tell that Kakashi had failed to mention collaboration jutsu. How could he forget to mention that? He had two shinobi on his assigned team that could use fire and wind jutsu.

"All I know is Fuuton: Great Breakthrough, though. Will that really be enough for Sasuke and I to combine jutsu?" Naruto asked. Anyone with half a brain would know that any Uchiha could use powerful fire-based jutsus.

"If you can coordinate the jutsu correctly then it will work," Fugaku responded. He saw his younger son and the jinchuriki exchange smirks for a moment.

"Finally, you can start pulling your weight around here dobe."

"I usually pull your ass around during our D-ranks, but I guess I don't need to prove I'm better than you teme," Naruto said with a scoff. Despite the fact that Sasuke's family was in the room with him, he didn't seem to care about verbally abusing Sasuke.

"I'm not the one who ends up getting dragged through the dirt whenever we walk dogs," Sasuke shot back. Well, what Sasuke was saying _was_ technically true. The big dogs Naruto always insisted on walking seemed to enjoy dragging their walker through the dirt.

Before Naruto could again retort, Sakura admonished him. Fugaku took notice of the blonde's actions. Naruto did not respond to her, only turning away and returning his attention to Sasuke's parents and brother.

The blonde had a hell of a mask to hide that flash of emotion. He was rather exuberant earlier, but Sakura's comment shut him up immediately and he adopted a smiling poker face. His expression quickly went through one of sadness to one of determination before it reverted to a smiling mask.

"What about you, Sakura? What are your goals as a kunoichi? Has Kakashi-san taught you any jutsu yet?" The Uchiha patriarch decided to turn his attention to the pink-haired girl and stop the minor shots Naruto and Sasuke had taken at each other.

Sakura shifted her gaze to Sasuke and then back to Fugaku before nervously responding, "I-I'm not sure, Fugaku-san. Kakashi-sensei is starting me on genjutsu theory. He thinks I have the chakra control for it."

"Genjutsu is a difficult art to master. Do you think you have what it takes to use it?" Itachi asked. Again, Sakura's eyes drifted to Sasuke before returning to Itachi's. She gave him a firm nod. She hadn't really said what the reason she wanted to be a kunoichi for was, but everyone in the room knew why, or could guess why.

"It is good to have determination, Sakura." Itachi knew that in order to professionalize in genjutsu, determination was needed. Determination was needed for many things, but none more so than genjutsu. Learning the chakra control and weaving an imaginary world from one's mind took time to learn and manage.

"Enough about Kakashi-san's teachings. What do you two think about your team and being shinobi so far?" Mikoto asked, directing her attention to Naruto and Sakura.

Naruto reverted back to his normal enthusiastic self as he told Sasuke's parents and brother how he enjoyed learning new things from Kakashi (when he taught them, that is) and how good it felt to meet and help people. He left the part out about changing the opinions of other people since Sasuke and Sakura wouldn't really understand it. Although the blonde had his share of trouble with his team, he said that sparring with Sasuke was helping him get better.

Sakura didn't really know how to respond. She ended up saying that she enjoyed hanging out with Sasuke even though he usually slipped away from her before she could ask him on a date, although she wouldn't really mention the 'date' part. She, like Naruto, also liked learning new things.

The rest of the evening went in a similar fashion, where Fugaku, Mikoto, or Itachi would ask the two guest genin a question and the two genin would respond. Sometimes, Sasuke would make a crude remark to Naruto for humor. This ended up having Itachi scold his brother in a way that caused Sasuke to hang his head in chagrin.

It also caused Naruto to get some dirt on what Sasuke disliked- being poked right in the middle of his forehead.

The time eventually came when Sakura had to head back to her home. After saying farewell, Fugaku made Sasuke walk her home since it was quite late in the evening. Naruto watched as the two headed off and decided to head off himself. However, he was stopped before he could leave by Itachi. The elder Uchiha prodigy glanced back at his father, who gave him a quick nod before heading back inside his home with his wife.

Naruto nervously looked at Itachi, wondering if he had done something wrong. He coughed slightly, getting Itachi's attention. "What do you need, Itachi?" The blonde quailed under the Uchiha's impassive face. Naruto didn't really know Itachi at all. It made Naruto feel tense.

"I'd like to walk you home, Naruto. Don't worry, you have done nothing wrong," Itachi said. Naruto's shoulders relaxed and he exhaled in relief. Itachi started to walk away from his house, turning back to usher Naruto forward to the gates that led out of the clan grounds.

Naruto fell into step slightly behind Itachi as they walked through the dark, deserted Konoha streets. Itachi, clad in his ANBU attire and flak-jacket, led Naruto through the dim lighting. "I was surprised by your actions today," Itachi began.

"What are you talking about, Itachi?" Naruto asked. What actions? He was just acting like himself. Naruto hoped he hadn't offended the Uchiha Clan somehow by his demeanor. Itachi had assured him that he hadn't done anything wrong, so what was Itachi surprised about?

"What you did before I invited you to my home," Itachi explained. "You're attempting to show the younger generation of shinobi and civilians that you are who you are."

"Yeah... I am. I'm surprised you noticed it, Itachi. My teammates don't really notice how people treat me, though. I don't think I'd want them to..." Naruto muttered. He didn't want to attract attention to his tenant, especially since it had been found so easily by his apparent relative. It was a secret for a reason, according to the Hokage, and he'd keep it until he was ready to reveal it.

"Do you really have such a lack of faith in your teammates?" Itachi was genuinely concerned if this was the reason, especially since Konoha encouraged camaraderie. Naruto's status was a big deal, yes, but Itachi was sure that having people his age accept him for who he was would help him change the views of other people. If his peers began to accept him, those related to said peers would realize that Naruto was a nice person and not an entity of mass destruction.

"It's not that, Itachi. It's just that I don't feel like I'm ready to tell anyone about it just yet. Hell, I found out two months ago."

"Fair enough," Itachi replied, dropping the issue. The two walked in a comfortable silence before Naruto's apartment came into view. "Well, here we are, Naruto. Did you enjoy your visit?"

"It was nice being over, Itachi. Your parents are nice people," Naruto replied. "Could I possibly come over every now and then? Your mom makes really good food." Itachi chuckled. Of course he would be thinking with his stomach. Then again, his mom had been complimented on her cooking many times before.

"If we are not busy, then you may, although you should ask Sasuke beforehand. Good night, Naruto," Itachi said. Naruto gave him a small wave before turning and heading into his apartment. Itachi turned around and started to walk back to the clan grounds. As he walked along in the darkness, he gazed up at the stars, thinking about the young, blonde chakra battery.

What kind of shinobi would he end up being? Only time would tell.

**VvVvV**

Kakashi lowered his book as he heard Naruto swear loudly. _Old habits die hard it seems_, Kakashi mused before returning to his pornographic material. A perverse giggle came from behind his mask as he immersed himself in the world of Icha-Icha.

"Damn it! I can't use these things well at all!" Naruto shouted. Sakura scolded him for yelling, but he was pissed and peace be damned, he wanted to vent. The clawed gauntlets were dangerous and he had managed to gash Sasuke on several occasions, much to his chagrin. However, the augmentations given to him by the gauntlets were all for naught if he couldn't actually get close enough or get a good enough taijutsu style to attack his opponents.

He couldn't even get to Sasuke when they sparred. Sasuke kept him at bay with his gigantic fireballs from hell and up close, Naruto couldn't match him at taijutsu. It was getting frustrating, especially since Kakashi didn't want to teach him much taijutsu. The masked jounin was more of a ninjutsu specialist anyway and whenever Naruto asked for taijutsu help, Kakashi would always direct him to the basic kata shown at the academy.

When Naruto used the Great Breakthrough jutsu though, it was a different story. The amount of chakra he pushed into that technique caused massive blasts of fire to erupt, canceling out both jutsu. The amount of juice Naruto was pushing into the jutsu caused it to sustain itself for a longer period of time. This led to the jutsu not being overpowered by Sasuke's Grand Fireball... most of the time, anyway.

When Kakashi saw Naruto perform the jutsu, he was pleased at the level of proficiency the blonde had attained. Having a wind jutsu clash and tie with a fire jutsu was rather impressive. He hadn't mastered the jutsu, far from it, but he could use it well enough for it to pose a significant threat.

Naruto fell to the ground, landing on his back and facing the clouds. A distance to his right were his clones, all thirty of them attempting to cut their respective leaves with chakra. At this point, he was close to completely cutting the leaves in half. Naruto believed that soon, he would be able to start flowing chakra through his gauntlets.

Kakashi had also remarked that, since the claws had five sharpened points, Naruto would have to make his wind chakra more malleable in order to raise the effectiveness of the gauntlets. The fact that wind chakra could be shifted in shape gave him many ideas regarding this, but he couldn't act on them.

Not yet, anyway.

There was a pop from where his clones were working and then Naruto's eyes widened. He kipped up, anger and slight fatigue momentarily forgotten. "No, don't dispel! Don't dispel at once!" Naruto ended up grabbing his head as memory backlash hit him from the mass dispelling of twenty-nine clones. He growled and muttered obscenities under his breath.

He thought that he should be happy that the leaf cutting exercise was just about complete, but memory backlash was not fun. As a result, he ended up in a worse mood than he was in previously. Ignoring the questioning looks of his teammates, Naruto went to a nearby tree, plucked a leaf from a branch, and began to focus his chakra.

Hearing the complete rip of a leaf had never been more satisfying. Naruto also wondered how coincidental it must have been for him to now complete the exercise when he was just thinking about it. Shrugging it off, Naruto went up to his teammates and placed his gauntlet-outfitted hands on his hips, minding the claws of course. "I finally split a leaf with only my chakra!" Naruto stated in a triumphant manner.

Sakura went back to reading her scroll on advanced genjutsu theory, Sasuke rolled his eyes, and Kakashi let out a perverse giggle.

Naruto huffed at the reactions of his team before he headed over to where Kakashi was reading his orange book. "Hey Kakashi-sensei, I can cut a leaf in half with my wind chakra. Can you tell me how to use Chakra Flow now?"

Kakashi looked up at Naruto and then put his nose back into the crook of his book. "Do the same thing you did for the leaf, only on your claws. Go whack a tree or something," Kakashi lazily said. It might have seemed as if he was reading, but Kakashi was keeping his one visible eye on Naruto. He watched as Naruto went up to a nearby sapling and slashed it with his claws. He left deep grooves on it, but nothing else happened.

Kakashi was about to go back to his material when Naruto tried again. This time, instead of slashing, he jabbed his right hand forward in a knife strike.

The jab tore out the middle of the sapling, causing it to collapse. Naruto turned to Sasuke and gave him a smug grin. "That's impressive, Naruto. Why don't you try it on something thicker?"

Maybe Kakashi shouldn't have encouraged him, because Naruto went to an older, taller tree with a thicker trunk and slashed at it, the his fingers splayed out in an animal-like fashion. The attack ended up tearing through half of the tree's trunk, showing off just how much Naruto was able to extend the wind chakra.

It also showed that Naruto was really fast when he wanted to run. The tree ended up collapsing on itself like the sapling had. All three genin were gazing at the felled tree in awe. "That's... kind of dangerous, Naruto," Kakashi mused. It looked like he'd end up searching for a taijutsu style that would benefit Naruto after all, if only to stop him from accidentally cutting someone's torso off. Either that or he'd teach the blonde a style he had copied with his Sharingan.

Naruto could only think about how his slash had tore through the trunk of the tree. And that trunk was _wide_. "You know what, Kakashi-sensei... I really like my wind chakra."

The evil smirk on Naruto's face caused his fellow genin and his jounin-sensei to shudder.

**VvVvV**

(Generic Shinobi Clothing Shop)

"So I have to be a doll for you? Really?" Naruto had been dragged rather forcefully by Tenten when he had walked into her family's weapons shop and bragged about how he was able to tear apart thick tree bark. What? Cutting through thick tree bark with clawed gauntlets felt awesome. The kunoichi was surprised that he could do so, but also annoyed that he hadn't changed his neon orange jumpsuit yet. The blonde had told Tenten that he had been meaning to change the thing, too.

Despite focusing on being an excellent kunoichi, Tenten could only stand so much of horrible fashion sense. She wasn't a girl who focused on fashion, and she didn't, but she did know that Naruto's clothing sucked, to be frank. So with his money and her dad's amused urging, she dragged Naruto to the closest shinobi clothing shop.

Naruto was kicking and screaming the first five minutes but eventually gave up and accepted his torture. He needed new clothes anyway that weren't 'kill me orange'. He just wondered if he had enough money to actually buy the stuff. Most of the time, the clerks overpriced him like crazy, and he knew why. It was annoying, really. How could people compare him to a massive furry fox?

Although he did have those strange whisker-like marks on his face...

Luckily, with Tenten there, they couldn't crank up the prices for their petty reasons else they would risk indirectly breaking the Hokage's law and, subsequently, be taken in for execution. The Third's Law was explicit when it stated that any mentioning of exactly what Naruto was would result in certain death.

The civilian clerk glared at Naruto for only a moment before Tenten came barreling past, steering Naruto towards the fitting rooms in the back. She already had her eye on a few outfits that looked like they wouldn't cause Naruto to be a human target while he was on potentially dangerous missions.

First and foremost, Tenten demanded Naruto ditch the orange. He weakly resisted, but eventually complied due to what his sensei, Nagato, and several other people had mentioned about bright orange. However, he still insisted to have _some_ orange present on his clothing.

"Do you see anything you like, or am I going to have to do the work?" Tenten asked, giving Naruto a sidelong glance. She began to rifle through shirts and pants, as well as some other articles of clothing.

"Well," Naruto began, grinning mischievously, "Would you make me a sandwich if I picked my own clothing?" Tenten abruptly stopped and turned to face Naruto with a deadpan look on her face. She folded her arms and tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. "Right, sorry. Old habits die hard."

"Again: Is there anything you like that doesn't make you a living target? My dad told me that it would be a literal crime to allow a Konoha comrade to die, so I can't exactly let you wear clothing designed for criminals." Tenten gave Naruto a smirk as he pouted at her childishly. Then he walked over to the racks of clothing and began to look around.

_Lame, lame, too small, too big, why would a guy even wear this..._ The blonde jinchuriki wondered exactly what to wear. Something that was more stealthy, yet had orange on it. He still wanted people to notice him, but he would have to make concessions.

He ended up finding several pairs of gray pants and several thick, short-sleeved black shirts with burnt orange trim on the edges and a slightly elevated collar. The shirt had the insignia of Uzushiogakure, as Naruto came to recognize it, on the left shoulder. When he presented his findings to Tenten, she nodded in acceptance. Then she took him to a fitting room and waited outside while he changed into his new clothing.

After a few minutes, Naruto walked out, new attire and all. "You look like an actual shinobi. Huh, what a surprise. You know, you might actually convince people to stop laughing at you." Naruto groaned at Tenten's cheeky remark. "Although, I feel like you need one more thing..."

The bun-haired kunoichi tilted her head and placed her hand under her chin, wondering what else Naruto would need. He used those clawed gauntlets her father had sold him, so something to accentuate-

Oh god, she felt like a girly girl. Tenten always tried _not_ to be a girly girl even though she wore a pink blouse. That was part of her thing, her ninja outfit! Her teammates had their thing, she had hers.

"So what's with the horrified look on your face?" Naruto asked, confused as to why Tenten was staring out into space with an expression of shock. She shook her head back and forth rapidly in order to clear her thoughts. However, before she could respond, Naruto went to a nearby shelf, grabbing several rolls of bandages. At Tenten's confused look, he shrugged. "What? I want to experiment with wind chakra and I don't want to rip my skin apart." Although it wasn't like bandages would help very much.

Tenten wondered if that would really work. "Sure, why not. Come on, let's go pay and kick you out of here." When they went to pay, the clerk seemed to want to say something, but was refraining from doing so. The dislike emanating from him was palpable, so much that Tenten asked the clerk if there was a problem. Unable to say anything, the clerk tightly responded in the negative and finished ringing up the clothes Naruto bought.

The blonde jinchuriki left the store reveling in how good a deal he just made, while the bun-haired kunoichi sent him away, saying that she was busy and tired of babysitting him.

**VvVvV**

When Naruto showed up at his team's meeting place, everyone was surprised at his new attire. On his arms, up to his wrist, were bandages covering his skin. Then there was his new pair of pants, shirt, and his black-fabric forehead protector. It was a change, one that Kakashi (and the rest of Konoha) approved of.

Ignoring the looks of Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto decided to get the day going. "Can we get a C-rank now, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto dully asked. He and his team had been doing D-ranks for the past few weeks and it was finally starting to grate on his nerves. At first, it wasn't so bad because Kakashi was actually teaching them stuff and Naruto was eventually able to use Chakra Flow. Not extremely well, but he could slice through stuff if he wanted. He was still experimenting with the wind chakra, too.

"We can only take D-ranks for so long, Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke added, finally taking eyes off of Naruto's new attire. Kakashi lowered his book and sighed, thinking about why his little genin would want to go out of Konoha for missions. Oh, he hated D-rank missions when he was younger, but after the war, he saw them as a gift of god. Painting fences and weeding gardens was much more enjoyable since you didn't have the threat of death looming over your shoulder every time you left your home.

Not that you didn't already, but it was a lot more peaceful.

"I guess you guys won't take no for an answer," Kakashi sighed. "Let's see if Hokage-sama has anything for us. If we're lucky it'll just be an easy delivery mission." Hopefully. So he let himself be dragged by Naruto and Sasuke to the Hokage Tower. When they burst through the door to the mission room, the Hokage was reading a familiar orange book...

"You've got to be kidding me," Naruto deadpanned. "Hokage-jiji, are you seriously reading Icha-Icha?" The Hokage glanced up, stifled a perverted giggle, and shoved the book inside his Kage robes. He gave Naruto a small glare before clearing his throat.

"Team Seven here for a C-rank mission Hokage-sama," Kakashi lazily said. Naruto's eye was twitching at the fact that his surrogate grandfather was reading perverted material. Hell, his sensei read perverted material. Was the next person who was going to teach him something a pervert, too?

Elsewhere, a man with long, white hair sneezed, wondering who would call him _just_ a pervert.

"You know what? I don't care. All males are perverts," Naruto exlcaimed, waving his arms in the air dismissively. Sakura tried to swat him for his behavior but he ducked out of the way, folding his arms afterward. "All right, give us a C-rank, old man."

Hiruzen chuckled at Naruto's behavior, glad to have the attention off of his book. Although he wondered how often Kakashi would read his book in front of his genin. No, Kakashi was a professional. He wouldn't show his genin anything in the Icha-Ichia series... probably.

"Well, we have a delivery, an escort, and border patrol. Which one would you like?" The Hokage heard three different choices from the genin. Naruto had said delivery, Sasuke had said escort, and Kakashi had said border patrol. _Guess he doesn't want to go through something like the Land of Waves again_, Hiruzen thought. _Or he's being lazy..._

After Team Seven huddled together for a group talk, Naruto walked up to the Hokage and said, "We're taking a delivery. Where we going, jiji?" The Hokage nodded his acquiescence to their choice and took out a scroll from a drawer in his desk.

"You three will be headed to Takigakure and will be delivering this scroll. Now, this scroll has classified information. You will be delivering it to the leader of Taki directly, so don't cause trouble while in the village itself. Taki might have a minor alliance with us, but they won't tolerate any foolishness." The Hokage gave each member of the team a stern look to get the point across.

Kakashi nodded and took the scroll, putting into a pouch on his waist. "Let's go, you three. I want you to be at the gates in an hour. Be packed and ready to go. We don't have an escort with us this time, so we can complete this mission in a shorter amount of time." All three genin nodded and headed off to their respective homes to start packing and informing their parents, if they had them, about what was going to happen.

Kakashi gave a bow to the Hokage and left, knowing that every man wanted to be left to their devices while reading their personal copy of Icha-Icha.

Naruto ran through the streets back to his apartment, excited at the prospect of another mission outside of Konoha. D-ranks were boring and quickly got old and he wanted to see more areas outside of the village. Plus, he was going to another hidden village and could see what it was like.

When Naruto reached his apartment, he saw Iruka in front of the door, beginning to turn away. "Hey, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted in greeting, getting the chunin instructor's attention. "Why are you in front of my apartment?"

Iruka squinted at Naruto, not having seen him in a while. The new clothing surprised him; he was sure that Naruto would never ditch his outfit. "Hello, Naruto! What's with the new shinobi clothes? Finally decided to get something else?"

"Ha, yeah! Everyone kept saying that my old thing made me a living target, so I got this with help from someone." As Naruto was speaking, he smoothed some of the ruffles his shirt had gotten on his way to his apartment and puffed out his chest, glad that his old sensei had actually noticed his change in clothing. "Kakashi-sensei seemed to like it."

"You look a lot more like a shinobi now, Naruto," Iruka said. "Seriously, you do. I know why you got the orange jumpsuit from before, but it was still a pretty bad choice." Naruto hung his head as a proverbial raincloud appeared above his head. "All right, enough of that. How about we go for some ramen? My treat! I haven't seen you in a while anyway since I've been so busy."

Naruto snapped out of his funk and then immediately blanched. He had the worst luck _ever_. Of course the first person to accept him for who he was would want ramen before he had to leave for a mission. "Sorry, Iruka-sensei. I have to go on a C-rank mission out of the village for a while. We have a delivery for the leaders of Takigakure." Naruto explained.

"So you're heading to the Land of Waterfalls, then? You should count yourself lucky, not many people have seen Takigakure. It hasn't been invaded since its conception and it only really has an alliance with Konoha," Iruka stated. Takigakure really did live up to its 'hidden village' name. "I believe the country is easy on the eyes, too. Lots of cliffs, trees, and waterfalls."

"And you know this why...? I don't think that the academy went over minor hidden villages." He might not have paid attention during his time at the academy, but Naruto knew that minor hidden villages weren't taught as much as the greater hidden villages simply because they were, well, minor. It was much more useful to learn about one of the five great hidden villages rather than one of the numerous minor ones.

"I like learning new things. A lot of the stuff is interesting and you never know when some knowledge will be helpful. Besides, even if you didn't pay attention during the academy, you can still pay attention during your missions. Keep a cautious eye out if you're going to be heading out of the Land of Fire." Well, Iruka's mini-lectures _were_ always helpful. Not that Naruto wouldn't keep an open eye out anyway. The last time they had been ambushed was an eye-opener in itself.

"Yeah, yeah. I gotcha, Iruka-sensei. Do you want to help me pack? I'll have enough money to treat you to ramen when we come back. You always treat me to ramen, so I'm returning the favor next time," Naruto cheerfully said. Iruka always did end up draining his wallet with the amount of food Naruto shoved down his gullet.

"Deal," Iruka said, chuckling a bit. "Wait, when are you leaving?"

"I have about an hour, although we've been standing out here for more than a few minutes so I think I gotta rush." Naruto then bounded up to his apartment door and unlocked it, inviting Iruka inside. "All right, I need a backpack-" Naruto found a backpack in his closet that was filled with his new clothing choices, "-some food-" Naruto got some instant ramen cups, "-and I think the ration bars are still in there. Yep, all good to go."

Iruka raised an eyebrow at his favorite genin. "And you wanted my help? The only help I think I can give you is to be sure you've got your shuriken and kunai stocked up. What's that hanging out of your pouch, anyway?" Iruka pointed to a set of gauntlets peeking out from the inside of Naruto's equipment pouch.

"Oh, these are new weapons I bought. I've been learning how to use them, but they're pretty dangerous so sometimes Kakashi-sensei stops me from using them in spars." Naruto frowned at this. How was he supposed to get better if his jounin-sensei restricted their use? They were dangerous, sure, but so were most ninjutsu. Hell, genin carried shuriken and kunai on them, both of which were very capable of causing death.

"Oh? Maybe when you get back, before we go out for ramen, we can have a spar for old times sake. I'd like to see how you've grown so far." A good teacher always wants to see how much their student, old or new, progresses.

"I'll show you what I can do, Iruka-sensei. I'm already beginning to get Chakra Flow down on my claws with wind chakra-" Naruto was interrupted by Iruka's loud "WHAT". He looked at Iruka confusedly before scratching the top of his head.

"Naruto, that's an elite skill. How are you already able to channel wind chakra? Is your sensei really that good of a teacher?" Naruto rolled his eyes at Kakashi being a good teacher. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't exactly a hands on sensei. He'd usually tell his genin what to do and then disappear, unless he was supervising jutsu use. He did help his students if they asked, however. Kakashi might not usually help them himself, but he would direct them to a place where they could help.

"He just told me what to do for my wind affinity and then made me do it alone. I just use Kage Bunshin to speed up training." Now it was Iruka's turn to look confused. Naruto explained the secret behind shadow clone training and how useful it was to speed up results. "It's how I managed to learn Chakra Flow in a few weeks. It also helped me learn the Great Breakthrough jutsu."

"That's very impressive, Naruto. I just hope you remember your basics. You never were too good at them back in the academy," Iruka joked. Naruto grinned at what Iruka was talking about. All men were perverts, the Hokage himself proving that point, so his specialized henge was extremely effective. In a real mission though, it was only a strange diversionary tactic.

"Don't worry, Iruka-sensei. I can already do a henge well enough and I'm practicing Kawarimi (Body Replacement) since Sasuke launches huge-ass fireballs at me when we spar with ninjutsu." This got a momentary look of shock from Iruka before Naruto amended his previous statement. "Well, I always use the Great Breakthrough on him, so I guess he's returning the favor?"

Everyone in Konoha heard Iruka's palm slam into his own face.

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><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: I meant for the Itachi encounter to be more... meaningful, but I couldn't write it how I wanted, so I scrapped that.**

**Also: I realize that Naruto is learning Chakra Flow early, but he's got super-clone-spammage.**

**EDIT 4/8/2012: Twylyte pointed something out that didn't work very well, so I removed it completely.  
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**EDIT2 10/6/2012: Drizztgeass pointed out an error regarding Iruka and Naruto. That's fixed. Thanks!  
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	8. Waterfall

**A/N: So people like this fic. That's awesome. It motivates me to continue! Not that I wouldn't. I plan on finishing this thing.  
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><p>Chapter Eight: Waterfall<p>

(Somewhere in the Land of Waterfalls)

"We're not lost, Sakura. Calm yourself," Kakashi said. Team Seven had left the gates of Konoha a week earlier and began a quick trek- by virtue of tree jumping- towards the border of the Land of Fire. That particular border would allow people to cross into the Land of Waterfalls, where Takigakure, the Village Hidden by the Waterfall, was situated.

Takigakure was also one of the very few villages that was a pain in the ass to find. It didn't matter if a village was allied with it, it was simply hard to find. Truly, Takigakure lived up to the name of 'Hidden Village'.

And that was why Team Seven was lost. Kakashi could deny it all he wanted, but he had never before been to Takigakure. He had passed through the Land of Waterfalls a few times back when he ran through ANBU missions, but he had never actually entered Takigakure itself.

Hell, the area itself looked like it could hide armies within it. Parts of the surrounding area had extremely thick vegetation. That was why Kakashi had his genin jump from tree branch to tree branch. It was good exercise, built up speed, and forced them to concentrate on where they were going so that Kakashi could keep an easy eye on them as well as think.

Hearing Sakura yell at everyone about how lost they were really grated on everyone's nerves. Kakashi liked to think of himself as a patient man, but he wanted some quiet in order to concentrate on figuring out how to get to their objective.

"Kakashi-sensei, how do you think we're supposed to find the village?" Sakura asked. She scanned the area, looking for something that obviously wasn't there. The genin didn't want the mission to fail simply because they couldn't find their destination; that would be embarrassing.

Kakashi sighed, moving forward into a clearing and signaling his genin to follow. The sun was sinking in the sky and it would soon be nightfall. "All right, you three. We're making camp here. Sakura, can you make a smokeless fire?" Sakura nodded, having an idea of what to do. "Sasuke, you were carrying the bedrolls, right? Set those up. Naruto, since you have an unusual amount of knowledge regarding trapping, you're coming with me to get something we can cook." All three genin had their orders and nodded. Kakashi created a Kage Bunshin to help guard the campsite before heading out with Naruto to find something edible.

Sasuke watched Kakashi and Naruto leave before shaking his head and doing his assigned job. He would've liked to go out and do a more active job, but Naruto had outdone all three of them, Kakashi included, when they had previously settled down for the night. Despite mostly eating ramen, Naruto could really trap and skin a rabbit. Well, he could do it better than they could, oddly enough.

Meanwhile, Kakashi and Naruto jumped through the trees, looking for anything that could become their dinner. The task was carried out relatively quickly when Kakashi spotted a deer moving through the bushes. It was quickly killed, with the masked jounin carrying it back to camp. Naruto skinned the thing quickly in order to prevent Sakura from gagging like she had before. How was he supposed to know she was squeamish towards that kind of stuff?

When the deer was ready, Naruto skewered it and with some inventive use of Kage Bunshin, set the meal to cooking. While they waited for their dinner to finish, Naruto decided to talk about their pressing issue. "So, Kakashi-sensei, do you have any idea of how to get there?"

"I do have a few, but I'd really rather not put your lives in jeopardy." The genin understood where Kakashi was going. Sasuke could cause a massive fire, which would undoubtedly attract attention, or Naruto could flare his chakra. The blonde couldn't hide from any half-baked sensor ninja anyway, so his chakra level would be a beacon to any Taki shinobi patrolling the area.

Sending out hordes of shadow clones could be considered an act of war since Naruto could generate so many of them. Kakashi didn't want to risk that course of action at all. "So what do we do? Wait until one of their shinobi find us while he's running out on a mission or something?"

Sasuke gave Naruto a curious look before responding. "I don't think that's a bad idea. Every ninja village sends out shinobi, so it's only a matter of time before they do find us."

"I'm wondering why they didn't send someone to escort us. They could have at least told us where the village is..." Sakura, despite her disgruntled attitude, did know why Taki didn't send an escort. The escort could be captured, tortured, the village location found. Simply sending a note could have the same result. That was why, she guessed, the Hokage had them delivering a scroll directly from Konoha.

Kakashi hummed in thought for a moment. "You know, I think Naruto's on to something. If we're going to stay in this general area, Taki shinobi might find us." Or imprison them. Yeah, it was likely that they would be imprisoned if caught and their intentions not believed. Though that would probably not happen once Kakashi showed them the scroll they were delivering.

After some grunts of agreement, everyone waited in silence for the dinner to be ready. It took some time for the meat to be cooked to where Kakashi thought it would be safe to eat and it ended up having more flavor than the ration bars they were forced to ear afterward. Even though the bars tasted like cardboard, active shinobi did need their nutrition.

Finally, darkness began to fall. They had been wondering in unknown territory (for the genin, at least), so Kakashi had a devious idea of what he wanted to do. When he shared his idea with his students, they all laughed at him. Even Sasuke broke his usual smirk and laughed at him. "You know, students shouldn't laugh at their teachers," Kakashi muttered, hanging his head.

"I don't think anyone would be scared of you if they saw how you really are Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, still snickering slightly. "You scared us during that bell test, but then you ended up being..." The blonde paused, searching for the right word.

"Lazy?" Sasuke supplied.

"Eccentric?" Sakura added.

"Seriously Kakashi-sensei, I don't think anything you say could scare us. It just doesn't seem like you," Naruto finished. If they hadn't been his students and hadn't met him before, then they might have had a different opinion. The masked jounin was scary at one time, but that was it. Reading perverted material in the open nonchalantly really served to make someone seem... _not_ frightening. "That doesn't mean we can't scare each other." Naruto had one of his patented mischievous smirks on his face.

"So do any of you have a better story than I do?" Kakashi asked his genin. He doubted that any of his students could actually spin something up that would scare them, but he would let them try. The jounin already had an idea of what to tell them- a story he had heard from one of his sensei's friends when he was younger.

"That's an opinion, Kakashi-sensei. You can't say that you have a better story than any of us do. We'll be the judge of that," Sakura remarked. The pink-haired genin remembered something Ino had told her years ago and although she found it quite silly, it was the best thing that she had for the moment.

"So who actually has something ready?" Naruto said. "I think I've got a story for you guys. I think it's scary, if I do say so myself." Yes, he had something extremely frightening, courtesy of Iruka and the Ninja Academy.

"I don't have anything," Sasuke muttered. "But I'll be damned before I freak out before you guys do." He gave his comrades sitting on the bedrolls around the fire a smirk.

"All right then, we'll try to freak each other out. Just don't faint from fright." Kakashi gave his students an eye-smile before gesturing towards Sakura. "Ladies first. Do you have anything for us, Sakura?" Kakashi paused for a moment. "No genjutsu. I just want to see what you can spin up."

"All right, here goes... Once upon a time..."

**VvVvV**

Naruto was watching the flames flicker as Sakura finished her story. Sasuke had his head in his arms, trying to stay awake, and Kakashi was simply reading his Icha-Icha. Tics appeared on the pink-haired girl's head and she yelled out, "HEY! That was a good one! You guys didn't even end up listening to it all."

All three males glanced at her and resumed what they were doing. "You know what, I bet you all don't have anything better," she muttered.

"That's just an opinion, Sakura. You-" Kakashi was cut off by a glare cold enough to put out flames. He chuckled sheepishly and then put his book down. "Who's next? Naruto? Sasuke said he doesn't have anything, so the blonde's next."

"Yeah, yeah... All right, do you guys know the graveyard in Konoha?" He got three nods in response. "Have you heard of the girl that was whisked away by the spirit of the graveyard? She was taken years ago..."

Naruto dived into his story, making animated hand and arm gestures the entire time.

**VvVvV**

"...And when she returned, the teacher gave her detention!" Naruto finished, warbling his voice for added effect. His response was three blank stares before the rest of Team Seven began laughing uproariously. "Hey, stop laughing! It was scary to me when Iruka-sensei told me about it..."

"Only you would be deathly afraid of _detention_," Sasuke said with a shake of his head. "Seriously, I think the only person who was even close to you in terms of detentions was Kiba."

"No, I'm pretty sure it was Shikamaru since he ditched with you guys most of the time," Sakura remarked. Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru always ditched, the former two going on pranking escapades while the latter slept the time away. Sometimes even Choji joined them, but the rotund boy usually stuck with Shikamaru.

"Maa, maa... no need to bring up terrible academic punishments, you three. Knowledge won't help you unless you put it into practical use."

"How the hell do you put history into practical use, Kakashi-sensei?" Seriously, how did you put history into practical use? Naruto failed the class for a reason: what was the point of learning about how Konohagakure was founded if it happened so long ago? It wasn't as if some masked man was going to go masquerading about using the moniker of one of the Konoha founders, right?

Kakashi shrugged at his shortest student. "You never know when information will come in handy." Naruto slapped his palm to his forehead as he got a reminder from what Iruka had told him previously. _I get it world,_ Naruto annoyingly thought, _I'll pay more attention_.

"Can we get on with this?" Sasuke asked. "Naruto and Sakura suck at horror. Are you any good, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Let's see what I've got... this should do nicely... oh yes..." All three genin sweat-dropped as their masked sensei rubbed his hands together in a manic manner. "In a far away town, there was once this family..."

**VvVvV**

"I don't get it," Sakura said, giving her sensei a confused look. Taking a glance around the area, Sakura saw that Naruto and Sasuke were confused about Kakashi's story as well.

"What's to get? I don't get scared of it like I used to, but I wholeheartedly believe that it's one of the best horror stories I've ever heard," Kakashi said. The old vacation-but-wagon-broke-down-middle-of-nowhere story, while old and overdone, always brought a burst of nostalgia back to Kakashi. He rather enjoyed those kinds of stories.

"For one, what are the chances of that actually happening? Traveling wagons like that are built sturdy and usually an escort detail of a rich family will have trained shinobi. The dude you talked about just used a blunt ax to off everyone. How is that supposed to scare us?" Naruto said.

"He's right. We're shinobi. Aren't we supposed to be desensitized to this kind of thing?" Sasuke added. Ninja dealt with death more often than mercenaries and bandits. Well-trained ninja were instructed to kill their emotions in the heat of battle and kill or detain the enemy without hesitation.

Kakashi sighed. "You three wouldn't know a good horror story unless it happened to you." Kakashi was struck by inspiration- he'd have to freak his genin out sometime in the future. Possibly before the exams. "Anyway, we should probably get to sleep. We still have to find that village and hopefully-"

"Wait. I've got something." Sasuke's fellow genin and his sensei all stared at him curiously. Sasuke leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and his chin behind his interlocked hands. "It's a myth that's pretty common folklore, actually. The library should have a book detailing the history of this myth and the factual-" Sasuke rolled his eyes at this, "-information regarding it."

"A myth?" Naruto said dryly. "How is a myth supposed to make us freak?" Naruto held up a hand in front of Sakura's face to stop her scolding before it could happen. She huffed and returned her attention to Sasuke. Naruto then made a 'go on' motion with his hand, waving it in an exaggerated motion.

Sasuke gazed at each of his teammates in turn before inhaling and beginning to speak. "Well, it kind of goes like this..."

**VvVvV**

Before the era of shinobi came to be, before the clans warred...

We had coalesced throughout the land, forming small villages. Each village formed a mutual relationship with each other for survival was oftentimes difficult.

Leafy forests, pristine rivers, and a temperate climate gave much for a way of life. It was not easy, but with hunting, planting, and coming together, villages could live. Could bond. Could survive.

Then, one day, a child appeared. A young girl with strange eyes. One of the villages took her in, for she had no parents. No apparent kin. No apparent family.

The girl never grew, despite having lived in the village for years. No one knew her age, and so her height was thought to be related to her unknown lineage.

But then, it happened. All of the men returned from an outing to see their village in ruins, blood and gore everywhere. Destruction and death. The girl was in the middle of it all, no smile, no frown, no tears. On her stomach, were three strange marks.

After grieving, the men took the child, seeing as she had survived, and left the destroyed area, intent on building new lives for themselves and escaping their doomed home.

They came across another village, this one bigger than their own. They passed on the story of how their village was destroyed, prompting stricter defenses.

After a time, there was peace. The tragedy that previously beheld them was a thing of the past.

And then, when the men of the village returned from gathering supplies, they saw the village in ruin. Destruction, death, and devastation. Yet again, the girl was the only one left, only three more marks, like the previous one, were on her stomach, loosely arrange in a circle.

And this time, she had a small smile on her face.

Naturally, they were suspicious. But such a little girl could not cause such destruction. It just could not happen.

It was impossible.

Once more, they took her with them. And once more, they found an even larger village. They settled in this village, cherishing their new home even more than they had their previous ones. Life was a precious commodity, even more so after what they had seen.

More time passed. No event such as the previous ones occurred, allowing the men to drop their suspicions and to feel safe. To finally feel at ease, to feel secure.

One day, when the men were returning to their village, they saw it. A beast, black as night, with the same eyes as that accursed girl, devouring everything. Destroying everything. Devastating their homes. Murdering their friends and new families.

The beast turned its eyes to them and spoke in a hellish, warped voice of a child. It said, "Do you want to play with me?"

With a twisted smile it consumed their lives, their souls, and their bodies before setting off.

Today, it is said that the little girl still exists. She is a beast of trickery, of deceit, and with many powers. Some people think she still haunts the forests of the nations, waiting for another group of unaware people to take her in.

When their backs are turned, their guards down, and their feelings of security raised... she strikes. The only warning you will ever have is thus...

**VvVvV**

"...Do you want to play with me?"

The new voice that rang through the clearing caused Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke to emit high-pitched screams before they all jumped up and pressed their backs together, scanning the area for wherever the voice had come from. Kakashi snapped to attention as well, swiftly looking through the trees for the speaker. "Where are you?" Kakashi asked, his voice tense.

Two men dropped down from above. Both men had brown eyes and brown hair. One was rather tall while the other short and both were wearing chunin flak-jackets in addition to classic black shinobi gear. The most prominent thing they had on them though was the Takigakure forehead protectors they were wearing. The tall one had his around his temple while the shorter one wore his around his neck. The tall one bowed for a moment. "We apologize for startling you, Konoha-san. We were simply making our rounds and your campsite and story caught our attention."

Kakashi nodded. Coincidentally, it was what they had been banking on. Not for tonight, but they were hoping to get 'caught' sometime soon. "Hai. This is Team Seven of Konohagakure and we were assigned a mission to deliver a scroll to your leader."

"Yep, that's what we thought. Why else would Konoha-nin be running around here?" The shorter man nodded to himself. "All right, you're all probably tired, but we should escort you to the village real quick before we resume our rounds." Both men gestured in a seemingly random direction, waiting for Team Seven to pack up their supplies and cover their campground.

Once the task was done and the fire smothered with a simple Doton (Earth Release) jutsu, Team Seven followed their anonymous escorts through the trees. While their movements seemed random, Kakashi knew that they were changing and shifting their trail so that a direct path to the village couldn't be memorized. It was a precaution towards village secrecy.

Eventually, they came across a massive waterfall that was cascading water down a large cliff. Team Seven's escorts let them take in the sight, which was illuminated by the moonlight of the night. "Whoa... this waterfall is huge..." Naruto murmured, his eyes wide in shock. He had never seen a sight like the waterfall in front of him before and from the faces Sasuke and Sakura had, they probably hadn't either. Kakashi just stared at it lazily, his face not betraying any emotion.

The tall Taki shinobi grinned at the reactions of the genin. "Yep. This place is hidden well and even then, finding the village after you find the waterfall is a difficult feat. We're escorting you though, so come with us." Both Taki shinobi started to walk around the small lake the falls were pouring into until they bypassed the wall of water entirely. Kakashi and his trio of genin followed shortly afterward.

Behind the falls was a large cavern, littered with stalagmites and stalactites. As the group continued onward, Naruto noticed that the walls of the cavern were covered with a type of glowing lichen, allowing for sight. Without the lichen, the cave would have to be lit in order to navigate through the inky darkness. Even if there were torches in the cavern, the waterfall would disguise the light, making the cavern well-hidden.

The two Taki shinobi stopped near a wide pool of crystal clear water. The shorter of the two turned to face the foreign ninja. "This," he said, gesturing to the pool of water, "leads to a series of underwater tunnels. I hope you can all hold your breath long enough, because it's the only way to Takigakure."

So that was why Takigakure was never successfully invaded. The pool of water could only lead to so many tunnels and shinobi could only hold their breath for so long. There was probably a choke point somewhere near the exit, making for easy-pickings of any invading force. Kakashi marveled at how effective it could be.

"All three of you should be able to handle some time under the water. I will swim behind you all just in case you begin to panic," Kakashi said, speaking to his genin. "If anything, this will be a good learning experience. A well-rounded shinobi should display proficiency in many environments. A lot of ninja do not familiarize themselves with foreign scenery and in turn, become complacent when traveling." All three genin nodded, soaking in his words. The Taki-nin waited for Kakashi to finish his lecture before diving into the water. Kakashi made a 'go on' motion with his right arm, causing his genin to follow.

The first thought Naruto had was that the water very pleasant. It wasn't freezing despite the chilly night air, but the rather cool temperature felt nice on his skin. The blonde was following Sasuke through the tunnels, who was following one of the Taki-nin that was swimming at a slower rate to compensate for the younger ninja behind him.

The tunnels started out wide, but slowly began to narrow. Eventually, the tunnels became just wide enough to accommodate a single, large adult male, which allowed Team Seven to follow each other in a more-or-less single-file line.

By the time Naruto's lungs began to scream for air, the tunnel had led into a somewhat open expanse of water leading directly above. When he broke the surface he had to take a few large, gulping breaths of air before his breathing stabilized and he kicked for the shore. In front of him was Sasuke who was still taking breaths of air. Behind him was his sensei helping Sakura breath normally. She didn't seem to have the lung capacity he or Sasuke did.

Then the voice of one of the Taki shinobi got his attention. "Welcome to the Village Hidden by the Waterfall. We'll take you to our leader when you all catch your breath." Both men were waiting with some amusement for Team Seven to compose themselves. It took a few minutes, but the drenched Konoha ninja followed the Taki-nin through the streets.

Takigakure was huge. Well, that was to be expected considering it was a Hidden Village and needed to have a large population to sustain itself, but it was still pretty large. Traditional-looking houses made out of wood lined the streets, most of which looked like they didn't have more than one floor on them. In the distance was a massive tree with branches that encompassed the canopy, blocking out the view of the moonlit sky.

There were no people on the streets, allowing the genin to take in the astonishingly mesmerizing sight. Kakashi himself was dumbstruck by the scene, but was able to hide it better than his students. "Now then, we've got to take you four to our leader. He'll get you a temporary place to stay and take the scroll off your hands."

After a short walk to a larger, wooden building that looked more modern than the others, the two anonymous Taki shinobi notified the guards what was going on and led them through the entrance. Even though it was late at night, there were still quite a few people scuttling around doing various tasks. Quite a few of them bumped into Team Seven, muttering apologies and then running off. "Why is this place so busy right now?" Sakura asked.

"It is a difficult job to run a village," the tall Taki-nin said. "Shibuki, our leader, usually has his hands full." Both of the Taki shinobi stopped in front of an ordinary-looking door that also had two guards in front of it. After an exchange of words, the guards moved away from the door, allowing Team Seven and their escorts access to the leader's room.

Naruto's first impression was that the room did not remind him of the Hokage's room in any way. It didn't carry that air of authority (even if he disregarded it), nor did the man in front of him have a powerful presence. The man in question had a blue shirt, gray shinobi pants, and a Taki forehead protector that held back his long, brown hair. When the group had walked in, he had turned his from the stack of papers on his desk to them. "It's rather late right now. What are you distracting me for, you two?"

"We found these Konoha ninja on our patrol route. They have a delivery for you," the short Taki-nin explained. He gestured to the Konoha ninja, the tallest of which had a scroll in his hand. Shibuki nodded and made a signal with his hand that told Team Seven's escorts to leave. The anonymous Taki-nin bowed before leaving and shutting the door behind them. Shibuki stretched his hand out for the scroll, which Kakashi turned over. After biting his thumb and smearing the blood on the object, he unraveled it, his eyes quickly scanning the words.

After a moment, Kakashi cleared his throat. "Shibuki-san, we-"

"Pardon me for a moment, but I'd like to get your names before anything is said and done," Shibuki stated with a pleasant smile. "I can get you four a place to stay after introductions."

"I am Hatake Kakashi. These children here-" Kakashi said, gesturing to his students in turn, "-are my genin team. Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura." The three genin politely greeted the leader of Takigakure, although Naruto was the only one who muttered "I'm not a child" under his breath, much to Shibuki's amusement.

Shibuki nodded, satisfied. "Now then, I'd like to discuss what was in that scroll you delivered, but it's late and we're all tired. Outside of this office, a secretary should be doing paperwork. She'll tell you where your place to stay is while you're in Taki. Now, if you'll excuse me," Shibuki said, smoothing out his clothing, "I have more work to do."

The Konoha team left the office, finding the secretary to be sitting at her own desk near the door. After Kakashi explained the situation, the generic-looking woman led them out of the building and down an empty street. The hotel itself, albeit ordinary-looking, had several open rooms, and so the team split up. Sakura got her own room for obvious reasons, as did Kakashi, and Naruto and Sasuke ended up sharing a room.

Their bickering garnered many complaints.

**VvVvV**

The following morning, Team Seven stood at attention in front of Shibuki. The man had his hands folded on the desk, his eyes scanning the Konoha team. "So, I have gone through that scroll Hokage-dono has sent me," he began. "The scroll was a proposition to a special kind of trade agreement regarding a type of what you could call 'soldier pill'. Some of Konoha's missions are pawned off to us and we give them the chemicals, at a lowered price of course, in order to help produce more efficient soldier pills."

The three genin were listening and likely had no idea what was going on, but the jounin knew what 'soldier pill' Shibuki was talking about. It wasn't very well-known, but information regarding the thing still existed. "Shibuki-san, if I may?" Shibuki nodded at Kakashi. "This is regarding the Hero Water. If you are ironing out an agreement regarding the makeup of such a thing, are we to deliver your response? Or is there another thing you might have us do?"

"Takigakure is formally accepting the proposal from your Hokage. His terms are quite generous and will be mutually beneficial to our respective villages. However, procuring the components of the water itself is rather difficult and time-consuming. We have also managed to catch movements around, but not in the village." Shibuki straightened up, telling the Konoha shinobi that they were essentially protecting a special group of civilians that were extracting the special properties of the water. He also explained to them that said properties could only be obtained every one-hundred years.

Guess what was happening at that moment? Yep, the giant tree in the middle of the village was producing Hero Water.

"Of course," Shibuki continued, "I highly doubt anything will happen, but it's just a precaution." Kakashi mentally sighed. This mission would have ramifications if he chose to reject Shibuki, especially since the Hero Water was said to have incredible properties regarding chakra enhancement and regeneration. Properties that would help Konoha maintain its status as the strongest shinobi village. It was still recovering from the attack nearly thirteen years ago and this agreement the Hokage had proposed would help greatly.

"We'll help," Naruto stated. "I know why this is important and so we can't just leave this place. Besides, we don't really know our way out." Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, giving Shibuki a grin as he did so.

"Yes, we'll continue with this mission. However, I do expect our expenses to be paid."

"Of course, Kakashi-san. Now then, one of the guards outside will escort you to where the extraction process is beginning." Shibuki shooed them out of his office, having work to do for the day. One of the guards outside of the building stopped them and escorted the four to the lake around the tree. Water-walking would have seemed like the obvious option, but the water was only knee-deep so they all trudged through until they reached the other side.

Several civilians wearing white coats and gloves were milling about what looked like a shrine. Each had some strange looking instruments and would converse with each other using strange words and gestures that Naruto couldn't make heads or tails of. The guard bowed to Kakashi and vanished via shunshin, probably returning to his position.

Kakashi motioned his team to him. "All right you three, we're going to be sitting here... watching these extract the Hero Water..."

"Can we actually do anything here?" Naruto interrupted. What else was there to do? They couldn't train since it was a different shinobi village and any accidental damage would be hazardous to the terms the Hokage had set up.

"Why not work on your control? You can always improve your chakra control," Kakashi said cheerfully, giving his students an eye-smile. This only got them to groan. Improving or not, chakra control training was boring. Yes, it helped, but it was also very repetitive.

"What if we try and do different things while water-walking?" Sasuke questioned. "Like, maybe walk on our hands while on the water in order to improve endurance, strength, and control all at the same time?"

Back in Konoha, a man in a green spandex outfit blinked, suddenly screaming about youth and how marvelous it was.

Kakashi shrugged, telling them to do what they wanted. He did tell Sakura that he felt that her reserves were still rather shabby, which encouraged her to accompany Naruto and Sasuke out onto the shallow water. While Naruto and Sasuke were trying various methods to get more out of their training, Sakura was simply focusing on staying on top of the water for as long as possible.

This ended up having Naruto do a handstand. Several times. The blonde repeatedly insisted that he wasn't showing off, saying that there wasn't a reason for it as no one in a foreign village would care if a random genin could do what Naruto was currently doing. Rather than do what his short teammate was doing, Sasuke decided to try and ruin his teammate's concentration.

It wasn't that difficult considering Naruto's inherent level of control.

Once again, he splashed into the water and rose up, gagging and coughing. Seriously, he was going to kill Uchiha Sasuke if it was the last thing he would do. Kill him or prank him, either one was fine at this point.

Naruto stood up and stretched, exhausted by the exercise he had been doing. He didn't even have the energy to yell at the guy. Maybe that was for the best, because he did realize that his voice was rather obnoxious and Sakura always reprimanded him when he shouted. It was just another thing he had to try and break out of. _Old habits die hard_, he thought.

"Maybe we should get something to eat. It's past noon," Sasuke remarked, still smirking slightly at the blonde. Sakura had stopped an hour ago, heading towards the shore to rest. Her reserves still weren't quite as developed as the males on her team.

After reaching the shore, all three genin sought out their sensei, who was dutifully reading his little orange book. Upon their approach, he turned and faced them. "Yo! I'm guessing you three want some lunch, right?" They nodded. "All right, let's go." The jounin, having not done much of anything, created a shadow clone to watch the civilians as they kept toiling on. Then he took his team across the lake to find a restaurant.

Normally, foreign shinobi walking aimlessly through a village would be considered a threat, but Shibuki had apparently given the notice of what the Konoha shinobi were actually doing in Takigakure. So for the most part they were left alone unless they asked someone for directions to a restaurant. Many civilians recommended a cheap place called 'The Waterfall'. The reference was noted.

The restaurant itself was, like the buildings around it, made of wood, yet also fairly larger than them. It had to be in order to serve consumers. At the reception desk, Kakashi walked up to the desk to ask for a table when someone shouted something that none of genin caught.

None of them except Naruto, who had superior hearing than the average ninja. He heard something _very_ familiar to him. Directly outside the restaurant was a tanned girl with mint-green hair, a short sleeveless white midriff shirt with fishnet armor underneath, long white armlets, and fishnet shorts with a short white apron over it. The girl stopped in the middle of the street, flipped a civilian the bird, and jumped off.

All three genin had noticed the Takigakure forehead protector the girl had. Kakashi voiced their thoughts to the woman at the counter, who merely stated that the girl was something no one should care about. Kakashi dropped the issue and, after receiving a table, led his genin to where they were going to eat. Menus were soon handed out and orders were placed.

While they were waiting for their orders, Sasuke brought the green-haired girl up as a topic of conversation. "Did you hear what that woman called that kunoichi? She called her a 'thing'," Sasuke muttered. He was speaking in hushed tones since the woman at the counter made it clear that the kunoichi was a sore subject.

"Why would someone call her a 'thing'?" Sakura asked. You don't call a person a 'thing'. People had names, identities. Calling someone a 'thing' implied that there was none of that, which would be impossible considering the kunoichi's age.

"I don't think it's our business, you two." Kakashi was flipping through his Icha-Icha like usual, waiting for his food. He did notice Naruto having a blank expression on his face. "Naruto, are you all right? You look pretty out of it. I'm surprised, food usually has your undivided attention, even if it isn't ramen." Naruto scowled at the jibe.

"It might not be our business, but I'm going to find out more about her," Naruto stated, adopting a look of determination. "Going all the way through the mission back in Wave wasn't our business, but we still did it. I'm going to find out more."

"Why are you so into this, Naruto? I was just asking because I was curious. I don't think it's that big of a deal," Sasuke said, giving Naruto an odd expression. Sakura mirrored his expression.

"Naruto, we can ask Shibuki later. He's not obligated to give us any information however, so don't throw a fit if you don't get what you want." Naruto snorted at Kakashi's insinuation. He might be childish at times, but he could control himself. Mostly, anyway. Even if the leader of Taki wouldn't divulge the information, he could keep an ear out. He could afford to with his senses.

Hearing a random person call a girl a demon brought back painful memories.

If his hunch was correct, then he would go by what he had told Nagato months ago. He didn't want anyone living the kind of life he had.

* * *

><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: The 'horror' story sucked, yes I know. Naruto still acts childish, yes I know. He's starting to not take crap for Sakura, yes I know. I think.**

**Anyway, Takigakure time. I have a nice little plan for this mini-arc. Well, nice in my opinion, not so sure about your opinions. And yes, the waterfall motif does get annoying.  
><strong>

**Read and review. Any questions, comments, or concerns? Send me a PM or a review... please?**


	9. Observations

**A/N: Next chapter has a lot of combat. Please tell me what you think.  
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* * *

><p>Chapter Nine: Observations<p>

(Takigakure – Shibuki's Office)

Shibuki inwardly groaned as he heard what the blonde genin- Naruto, according to memory- recited. Of course Fuu would somehow alert her presence to the foreign shinobi in the village, even when he had explicitly told her to lay low. Her loathing of the village leeched into her respect for its authority and she did not hold him in high regard, even if he tried his best to secure her loyalty.

He didn't want to divulge anything relating to Fuu's status, but his shinobi couldn't really stop any of the civilians for letting that piece of information slip. Not that they really would try to talk about her. Plus, there was always the chance, no matter how small, that Fuu would tell them herself, even if she detested what she was. Information was vital, especially since Fuu was supposed to make a showing in the upcoming chunin exams.

From what Naruto was asking and the expressions on his teammate's faces, it seemed as if he was the only one interested in her. Shibuki toyed with the idea of the blonde possibly having an attraction towards the jinchuriki, but shed that idea almost immediately. Naruto was mainly asking why she was treated so lowly.

The Takigakure leader could also tell a lie, but that too could backfire. _Damn it_, Shibuki thought, _She couldn't have just stayed away, couldn't she?_ The man cleared his throat, returning to the discussion at hand. "Fuu is one of our... more powerful kunoichi. I cannot in good confidence tell you anything more about her or why the villagers treat her as they do."

Naruto frowned briefly, but knew better than to argue with Shibuki. The blonde's suspicions were raised slightly from the way Shibuki was acting. Jinchuriki were supposed to be powerful, but what was sealed within them usually separated them from their peers, oftentimes resulting in their loathing and hatred. The civilians in the vicinity had made their distaste of Fuu clear.

"Now, if there's anything else?" Shibuki prompted. No one responded, telling him what he needed to know. Nothing important had happened regarding the ongoing extraction. "All right then. You four are dismissed. I hope you sleep well." When the four left, Shibuki returned his attention to the paperwork sitting on his desk.

Team Seven filed out of the office and then headed out, walking towards where they were staying for the duration of their mission. Sasuke and Sakura were chatting about aimless things, with Sasuke attempting to keep the conversation away from the topic of 'dating'. Naruto was mostly silent, thinking about what he had seen. Kakashi noted his scrunched up face, equating it to deep thought.

Kakashi sped his pace up to keep in line with Naruto, who was walking a fair bit quicker despite being deep in thought. "Naruto," he began, "What's on your mind?" The blonde jumped slightly, not having noticed his sensei close in on him. Deep in thought or no, he should have been aware of his surroundings.

The Kyuubi jinchuriki glanced at where his teammates were before speaking, "Sorry, Kakashi-sensei. I was just thinking about that green-haired girl. Fuu was her name, Shibuki said."

"Are you sure you don't like her? I mean, you _are_ at that age..." Kakashi trailed off when Naruto gave him a blank stare.

"Kakashi-sensei, I saw her once, and even then, barely. You didn't hear what that guy shouted at her, did you?" Now, Naruto was casting glances left and right, looking for anyone that might have been snooping.

"What did he call her?" Kakashi asked. He couldn't feel anyone in the vicinity and no civilian would be up at this time of night.

"...A demon," Naruto muttered under his breath. Kakashi knew what this could mean to Naruto, but what that man had shouted at her was something else and had implications that he didn't want to get tangled in.

"You know, there are shinobi who are called demons. Momochi Zabuza is called the _Demon of the Mist_ due to his special way of killing people."

"Would a civilian even know that? I don't think many regular people keep their Bingo Books, if they ever have them, up-to-date. That waitress called Fuu a _thing_."

Kakashi sighed. "I know what you're implying, but you shouldn't get into it-" Kakashi held up a hand to stop Naruto's protests, "-Shibuki wasn't willing to share much information, which means that he doesn't want foreign nations to know about her at this time, regardless if she is or isn't. It's not something he wants us to know."

"Would you stop me if I tried?" Naruto pressed. He wasn't going to let this go. Another person, possibly like him? Why the hell wouldn't he try to talk to her?

The masked jounin grimaced through his mask. "I... probably couldn't, considering how you feel about this. Fine," Kakashi said, "As long as you're discrete, Shibuki can't really do anything. Be careful though, if you're caught it could lead to repercussions." Naruto nodded, satisfied.

He didn't sleep well that night, but he would attempt to reach out to the green-haired girl who he had seen receiving the same treatment as him.

**VvVvV**

Naruto sat on the shore of the lake, watching his teammates water-walk. He didn't really feel like training at the moment, instead keeping his eyes peeled for a certain kunoichi. He also kept an eye on the workers, but his thoughts were still focused on Fuu. Or rather, finding her.

He sighed, wondering how he was going to do that. Takigakure was a large village and, although he was able to walk about, he didn't have free reign throughout the entire place. Doing nothing would be useless, though. He asked his sensei for a small period of leave, catching his eye and getting his point across. Kakashi relented, giving his blonde student an unspoken warning.

Naruto walked along a street that had stalls and various shops selling a variety of different things. Civilians and shinobi mulled about, buying and bargaining if they needed to. Some shinobi peered at him from the corner of their eyes, making sure he wouldn't cause any sort of trouble.

Directly asking someone where Fuu was would probably turn out badly, so the blonde decided to keep his ears and eyes open. He had long since realized his hearing was superior to most shinobi, bar members of the Inuzuka Clan.

He changed direction, turning to the right at an intersection. Naruto realized that his feet were inadvertently taking him to where his team had dined for lunch the previous day. Perhaps there would be clues in the area.

Eventually, he heard murmurings. Civilians liked gossip, much like a certain platinum blonde back in Konoha. Murmurings of everyday things regarding civilians and children, business and fortune. Nearly nothing regarding shinobi matters. Annoying, but not unexpected. Secrets had to be kept.

Sighing, Naruto kept walking. He decided to find a snack since he was slightly hungry. He hadn't done much, but he was a growing boy. Plus, he could get fresh fruits and vegetables here if he desired.

He found a stall selling apples and bought one, handing over the meager amount of money as the old woman running the stall smiled kindly at him. Here, he wasn't sneered at or booted out of shops. It felt unbelievably alien to have an older person that wasn't the Hokage treat him in that way. He gave the woman a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed towards her actions.

Naruto hoped that he could make people give him that kind of smile, aside from Iruka-sensei or the Hokage.

Absentmindedly munching on the apple, Naruto stopped in the middle of the street, taking stock of his location. Once again, he cursed his lack of attentiveness. Although the location was foreign, he used the massive tree in the middle of the village as a way to head back to where his team was overlooking the extraction process.

The process itself, when he had asked one of the civilians about it, was extremely complex. It was far simpler to just create Hero Water out of it rather than extract its actual properties. He didn't understand it at all, but he did understand that the Hero Water was incredibly potent, capable of multiplying a person's chakra levels several times over. That would be incredibly useful for Konoha.

He accidentally bumped into a tall man wearing a blacksmith apron. The man was about to yell at him, but saw the forehead protector and muttered an apology, giving him that same kindly smile that the old woman had. "Ah, no, it's my fault really. I was thinking too hard and wasn't looking where I was walking," Naruto explained, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's really no problem at all," the man said before heading off to his own destination. Naruto blinked, continuing onward and disposing of his apple core. This time, he deigned to actually look where he was walking. Something tugged at the edge of his vision, prompting him to turn to his left.

Nothing. Naruto swore that he saw something, but there wasn't anything on the rooftops. People were still walking about on the streets, not noticing anything out of the ordinary had happened. Some were giving him an odd look since he had just stopped in the middle of the street, but Naruto disregarded those.

After a few more minutes, the feeling returned. Someone was watching him, but he couldn't whirl around quick enough to catch it. Stifling his irritation, Naruto began to water-walk through the lake, not wanting to get his shinobi slacks wet. When he returned to where his teammates were resting, the feeling vanished.

Kakashi looked up from his book. "Yo! You enjoy your off-time?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "Since you're well-rested, I want you start running laps while water-walking around the perimeter of the tree." Naruto shrugged, he could do that. Easily, too. His ridiculous stamina helped in that aspect.

"Are we going to go with him, sensei?" Sasuke asked. He and Sakura were both stretching. Sakura appeared a bit winded, but Sasuke looked ready to go. Their sensei nodded, mentioning that he would force them to keep running until they broke a certain time limit. He didn't tell them what the time limit was, however. At his mark, the three genin began to jog, wanting to get a feel of the area around the massive tree before actually attempting to clear Kakashi's time limit.

As he watched his genin leave, Kakashi's visible eye narrowed, scanning the large branches above and the rooftops a distance away. He too had felt that feeling of being watched and he knew that Sasuke, perhaps even Sakura if she was being perceptive, had felt it too. Taki shinobi would be obvious about it since that was their job; they were meant to make sure no trouble arose. This... this felt like someone was watching them, assessing their skill level.

The three genin hadn't used any jutsu and he had made sure to tell them not to show any of their skills. He had made a discrete shadow clone, but the watchful feeling hadn't happened then. A shadow clone popped up next to him and headed off to Shibuki's office. "Hey," Kakashi said, alerting one of the civilians. "Be aware. I'm not sure, but someone is watching us and they don't seem to be friendly."

"What?" the civilian said, stiffening slightly. "No one can get into Taki without prior knowledge of the layout. Even then, it's damn near impossible."

"Have there been deserters before? Missing ninja from this village?" Oh, Kakashi knew there had been missing-nin from this village. Kakuzu was still listed in his Bingo Book as an S-rank threat despite what his age would be at this point.

"We're not sure. We're only civilians! Shinobi matters aren't usually our concern." Kakashi nodded and created another shadow clone, telling it about the prospect of a missing-nin leading conspirators inside the village before dispelling the thing. His other shadow clone that was heading towards Shibuki would receive the influx of memories and bring the concerns to light.

Kakashi sighed. It seemed as if his team would end up fighting missing-nin again. They were certainly lucky in that way.

**VvVvV**

"You both have shit stamina," Naruto stated. He and his team were still running laps around the perimeter of Taki's massive central tree and while he was still good to go, Sasuke seemed to be getting tired and Sakura was running on fumes.

He received two glares. "Shut up, moron. We don't have your ridiculous stamina!" Sasuke was huffing and puffing by now and Sakura had stopped to catch her breath, easing off on water-walking as she did so. Naruto slowed down and turned to Sasuke, both water-walking back to Sakura's side.

"Hey, guys... have you ever had that feeling where you're being watched?" Naruto whispered. He had a bad feeling in his gut and he was sure it wasn't food poisoning. No one knew who he was here, just that he had spendable money.

"Why do you ask?" Sakura asked, perturbed. "You think the Taki shinobi are spying on us?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No, Shibuki's shinobi just want us to stay out of trouble. They would make their observations obvious as a sort of warning, even if we're on good terms with them."

"So you think someone is spying on us for a reason..."

"Yep, the Hero Water," Naruto said. "We're supposed to be protecting the civilians even though we're in a Hidden Village which means that whoever was spying on us can already get in..."

Sasuke smirked. "Looks like Shibuki's paranoia wasn't completely unfounded. We're going to have to fight missing-nin again."

Sakura gulped. "Hopefully not. Last time was scary enough."

"Don't worry, Sakura. Have some optimism!"

"Wow, since when do you use high-level words like that?" Sasuke quipped. Naruto simply shrugged. Hanging around with the Hokage and his secretary had expanded his vocabulary. Political meetings used fancy words and he was always listening in. No one ever expected a young child to do anything with the knowledge anyway.

"Anyway, keep an eye out. Someone was following me and doing a shitty job of it. I couldn't catch them-"

"Then they weren't doing a shitty job, baka," Sakura retorted.

"They always slipped away when I tried to find them... not my fault they're better at running away than hiding," Naruto muttered. Sakura shakily stood up and began to water-walk again. Her sandals and lower part of her dress were soaked, so she headed back towards where Kakashi was waiting. Naruto and Sasuke followed her.

**VvVvV**

(Shibuki's Office – Later That Night)

Shibuki looked at the Konoha shinobi in front of them. They had brought serious concerns to the front of his mind. Missing-nin in his village? The thought would be preposterous if the Hero Water wasn't in the equation. That and if Taki didn't have any active missing-nin.

But Suien was still out there. Possibly Kakuzu too, but he seriously doubted that, even if the man was listed in the Bingo Book. Suien would likely have an actual bone to pick with the village. They had rejected him as leader, choosing Shibuki instead, causing him to leave and to swear vengeance. What made it worse was that he was Shibuki's senior and had even trained him.

Wanting the Hero Water for its properties was also his likely target, should he actually return. Classic reasons to be missing-nin, right? Revenge and power. Yup.

"You are absolutely sure? Has this happened before today?" A shaking of heads. Shibuki sighed and rubbed his brow. "I can send out sweeps of the village and raise awareness, but nothing more. We have no idea who this and where they currently are, but their reason is clear. That being said, you are all dismissed. This threatens not only Takigakure, but also your own village. Please be alert and call for help if you are attacked." Team Seven left the room, leaving the Taki leader in peace.

A distance away, sitting on a thick tree branch, was a man with large, frizzy brown hair held together by a pale bandana. He was wearing a dark blue coat and gray shinobi slacks, as well as ordinary shinobi sandals. He stroked his goatee in thought as the bugged communicator seal he had placed inside Shibuki's office relayed him the conversation within.

"Heh," the man muttered, smirking. "This is going to be simple, even if he suspects me. Once they've got it extracted, I'll swoop in and take it. This is going to be the easiest board and brew I've made all year."

"Stop muttering to yourself," a feminine voice drifted out. Shibuki chuckled lowly. "He gave us additional troops and they've been situated at and around the village. It should be fairly easy once the civilians are done. Three regular genin and a single jounin won't be able to stop us. Most of the grunts we were given are well above the skill level of the chunin in the village anyway."

"Yeah, yeah... Shibuki himself is weak."

"We should be more inconspicuous. The shinobi will notice us, especially if the sweep starts now."

Suien scoffed. "The only ones who noticed us was that blonde brat and Sharingan Kakashi. None of Taki's shinobi are allowed to climb this thing, too.

"None except for its jinchuriki-"

"-who hates the village anyway," finished Suien. "Honestly, Hisame. I thought you would be more informed. But fine, let's go."

Both missing-nin vanished without a trace.

**VvVvV**

Kakashi was watching the civilians for Team Seven's fourth day at Takigakure. Even though he had raised Shibuki's suspicion, nothing had happened. Nothing suspicious, anyway. Either the enemies spying on him and his team had vanished out of caution, or they were better than Kakashi liked to think.

Sweeps had been organized, but nothing had come up. Shibuki wasn't about to let his guard down, but the fact that the sweeps were avoided was worrying. If worst came to worst, Team Seven would have to fight again.

The first C-rank ended up having missing-nin attack them and their second C-rank was apparently too damn important to be ditched. Kakashi would have sent for back-up, but there were enough Taki shinobi in the village and another foreign team of ninja would only complicate things.

His eye caught movement up ahead. All three of his genin had helped with the mid-morning sweeps both on the previous day and today. "Did you find anything?" Kakashi asked, his perverted reading material absent.

Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing. We combed everything, but there was nothing we could find, even with the help of the Taki-nin."

"Well..." Naruto began, scratching the side of his face, "Not everything." This caused Sasuke and Sakura to snap their eyes to him, wondering what he meant. They had gone through the entire village and found nothing. No clues, no evidence, nothing relating to missing-nin or foreign shinobi presence (bar them).

"Explain," Kakashi stated. Any unchecked areas could possibly be hiding places.

"None of the chunin directing us told us to check the tree," Naruto said, gesturing to the massive fuana behind his sensei. "I don't remember seeing _anyone_ check the tree."

"Come to think of it, neither did I." Sasuke glanced up at the massive tree. Was there something up there? The probability of missing-nin appearing in the village was low, but given the time and place it was getting more likely every day. It didn't seem very smart to have the sweeps exclude locations from the search.

"Maybe it's because everyone can see it, considering how large it is," Kakashi rationalized.

"Or maybe there's a reason why it's off-limits. It's gotta be important to the village since it's so big." Naruto looked up at the massive tree, examining its many branches and thick trunk. Aside from its size and the fact that it could produce Hero Water, it didn't really have anything impressive. "A tree that large would have great places to stay out of sight."

"Don't be stupid, baka. It would incredibly obvious to see someone run up that massive thing," Sakura said, rolling her eyes at Naruto.

"What, do you think I couldn't get up there without anyone noticing?" Naruto replied, smirking at his pink-haired teammate. She rolled her eyes once again, muttering under her breath about "dumb blondes".

"I would advise against that. Like you said, there's probably a reason why searches weren't assigned to the tree." That and Kakashi didn't want Naruto getting into trouble. Even when training, the blonde somehow ended up getting into trouble. He'd probably end up getting into trouble when it wasn't feasibly possible to get into trouble.

"All right, all right. Should we keep running through the village?"

"Did Shibuki authorize it?"

"It's related to our mission, so he probably won't have a problem with it." Kakashi hummed in thought for a moment before nodding. He did, however, tell the three to stick together. It wasn't conducive to finding missing-nin, but it would help them stay out of trouble and increase their likelihood of survival if a confrontation occurred, no matter how small that chance was.

So the three set off, giving their surroundings a once-over every few minutes. However, Sasuke and Sakura didn't notice that Naruto had replaced himself with a Kage Bunshin when they weren't paying attention.

He slipped off, having a separate agenda.

**VvVvV**

Fuu looked over her village. No, not hers. The only reason she stayed was to preserve her own life. Not that her life meant anything. Why would such a terrible, lonely life mean anything?

She had no parents, no surname... she was a nameless orphan who had had her burden dropped on her. Shibuki and his late father were the only ones who had tried to help her, to befriend her. But what was the point? Their interactions were far too infrequent for any lasting impressions to be made.

Thus, she was alone for most of her life. The villagers hated her and the shinobi treated her as a weapon.

So why shouldn't she hate the village that raised her? They clearly held no love for her.

A cool breeze blew, giving her goosebumps. She was extremely high up, which made most people look like very small dots and most of the houses look no bigger than her thumb. The tree was her sanctuary. No one would bother her up here, not that they could.

A dragonfly flitted near her before zooming away. The Nanabi housed within allowed her to control insects and bugs if she exerted her will on them. It was how she was able to keep up-to-date on matters within the village. It wasn't like anyone other than Shibuki would give her news voluntarily. Shibuki couldn't even do it most of the time due to his job as Taki's leader.

The dragonfly had, through minute vibrational differences in its wings, informed Fuu about the state of affairs within Taki. Missing-nin were thought to have invaded the place looking to gather the Hero Water. The foreigners had been helping with searches. Blah, blah, blah... Stuff she didn't care about.

Shibuki had told her that they were coming and that she should stay away. Why should she? These ninja didn't know what or who she was. The villagers rarely talked about her, anyway.

When Shibuki told her to stay away, she got curious. She wanted to watch, to observe. Three looked like genin that were slightly younger than her, while one was probably their jounin-sensei. Before she could observe longer, a man found where she was hiding and shouted her out.

So what do kunoichi normally do when their cover is blown? She didn't know, she wasn't a normal one. She was an apparent monster, her hands bathed in blood. She couldn't crush the man's windpipe in her anger, so she flipped him off and ran.

She was a monster and wasn't supposed to care about anyone but herself.

If that was true, then why did she want to speak to the foreigners so bad? Maybe she wanted to identify potential threats?

A part of her whispered in her mind, saying that she wanted to find people who accepted her for her she was...

But she knew better. Everyone who acted that way wanted to put her down. To put the _demon_ down. It was always the same.

**VvVvV**

Naruto glanced around, making sure the coast was clear. Well, it couldn't be completely clear. The lake around the tree had nothing to hide in and was too shallow to submerge within. The blonde ended up jogging around the perimeter of the lake, heading towards the 'backside' of the tree, or the part that was opposite of where the extraction process was taking place.

If he was lucky, any curious Taki-nin would just think Naruto's jounin-sensei was making him run laps. Kakashi had made his genin run before, so the blonde was banking on his scheme to work. All he had to do was get to the tree and zip up. No one would follow him up the tree... or so he hoped.

Upon reaching the massive roots of the massive tree in the middle of the village, Naruto looked around. He spent more than a few minutes doing so and eventually deemed it safe to start climbing. He stuck his right foot on the trunk, fastening it with chakra, and then the other foot. The blonde then proceeded to run, rather quickly too, up the tree.

He really, really didn't want to be caught. It would prove disastrous in a variety of ways, not to mention it would get Kakashi pissed off. The blonde didn't really want to find out how pissed Kakashi could get, even if the man looked mostly harmless. It was an unsaid rule that the more eccentric a ninja was, the more dangerous they could be.

He stopped for a moment and landed on a thick branch overlooking Takigakure. He wasn't too high up, but he was at the point where he could see most of the village. Entranced by the sight, Naruto looked up to see how much farther he had to go before he reached the top. It would take some time, considering how tall the tree was. After a short breather, he high-tailed it back up the tree.

As he ascended, the blonde realized that the air started to cool the higher he went. Even back in Konoha, he hadn't been this high before. The Hokage monument was tall, yes, but Takigakure already had a higher elevation than most villages and the massive tree in the middle of the village only added to that.

Once more, he stopped on a thick branch. The village houses were now incredibly small from his perch and falling from this height would certainly mean death if he couldn't decelerate. Looking up, Naruto couldn't help but notice that there was a large amount of bugs scuttling about the tree bark. What Naruto didn't notice was that these bugs were under the control of Taki's jinchuriki. He was being watched to determine his danger level.

"Huh," he muttered to himself, "Didn't think there would be bugs up here."

**VvVvV**

From her own perch, Fuu watched the blonde cast a curious look on her bugs. Why was he up here? Certainly he would be with his team looking for the supposed missing-nin. Her bugs had transmitted a message saying that he actually _was_ with his team right at that moment. Clones, then.

She adjusted her footing and nimbly jumped to another branch in order to give herself a better view. Despite her soft landing, the blonde's head jerked up and looked around. Could he have heard that? Fuu had made sure that her landing was quiet enough to evade attention.

She watched in alarm as his attention drifted to the branch she was situated on. Fuu contorted her body to hide out of view to avoid his gaze. The branch she was on was on a higher level than his own. From her position, she couldn't see him, but she was sure he couldn't see her.

"I know you're out there."

Yeah, he knew she was there. Fuu had the advantage in this altitude, but she didn't really know what he wanted.

"I'm not going to hurt you, you know."

The green-haired jinchuriki clenched her fists, wondering how she should respond.

"Hello?"

"Shut up!" She hissed, poking her head out. She glared down at him. The blonde appeared taken aback at her harsh tone, but he merely raised an eyebrow on where she was hiding. "Leave me alone!"

"Why? I'm not about to go all the way down. Getting up here was a pain in the ass." Naruto had a scrunched up expression on his face, displaying his irritation at climbing so high. Sure, the massive tree had a grand view of the village, but it was still annoying getting up there without being noticed.

"Why are you even up here?" Fuu asked, eyes narrowing. She jumped down to a level branch across from Naruto's.

Naruto took in her stance, the tensing of her body, and her clenched hands. Her muscles appeared coiled, ready to attack at anything deemed a threat. It was natural for ninja to do this, but Naruto had a feeling it went beyond being a ninja. "I... uh..." Naruto rubbed the back of his head. How would he phrase this?

"Well?" The green-haired girl sneered. "Spit it out, brat!"

"Why does everyone call me a brat? You look like you're a year older than me." Naruto paused. "Why are you so aggressive, anyway? You act like I'm going to attack you even though we've just met. Hell, if you attacked me my village might just declare war out of retaliation." That wasn't very likely, though.

Fuu lessened her sneer, but kept her eyes sharp. "I don't know who you are. Therefore, you are dangerous."

"If you wanted my name, you could have just asked." Fuu's expression didn't change. "Err... it's Uzumaki Naruto.

"Yours is Fuu, isn't it?" Fuu stiffened. Civilians or shinobi wouldn't give away her name, even after she was compromised days earlier. Shibuki might, but he wanted to keep her hidden. That was her role as a weapon. Takigakure's secret weapon for the upcoming chunin exams.

"What about it? Did anyone send you here?" The girl's stance had need shifted; she was still anticipating a battle.

Naruto frowned. "No, I came here on my own. I was just wondering why some people were calling you bad names."

The hardened look vanished, replaced by a look of actual curiosity. Rather than ask the civilians themselves, the blonde brat had decided to ask her? Did he know that they wouldn't say anything? "Why do you want to know?"

"Are you..." Naruto began, unsure how to phrase his next sentence. "Do you... I mean..."

He sighed. How the hell do you subtly ask someone if they're a jinchuriki? Naruto didn't want to just go out and say "Oh, I think you have a gigantic demon sealed in your gut". There was always the chance that he could be wrong and that would lead to an awkward moment.

Fuu remained unresponsive, waiting for Naruto to finish his question. "You know what, how about this?" Naruto pulled up his gray, burnt-orange trim shirt, revealing his bare stomach to the crisp air. He put the fold of the shirt in his mouth to prevent it from falling down and covering his stomach. Then he put his hands together in the ram seal.

His efforts rewarded him with Fuu widening her eyes and gaping at the complex seal that appeared on his stomach. Then she raised her eyes to Naruto's as he dropped his shirt. Orange eyes met ocean blue for a moment before Fuu looked away uncertainly. "Why?" she asked.

"Why what?" Naruto responded. He could tell she was nervous for some reason. He didn't know why, though. "Why did I try to confirm that you're a jinchuriki like me?"

"No." Fuu shook her head. "Why do you care? Why would you care?"

"Why do I care about another jinchuriki?" A nod. "I can see that... you and I are kind of the same. People hate you. You are left in your own little world, without anyone pulling you out. Am I getting close?" No reaction. "I guess you could say that I've lived your life, too. The people in Konoha hate me. I didn't even know why until a few months ago." Naruto gave her a wide grin. "But, I don't let that get to me. I need to show everyone that I'm not a demon. I'll get their respect and become Hokage."

Fuu was perplexed. If he had lived the way she had, why did he act so... normal? Yes, normal. Why did he act so normal around his teammates? Why did he not loathe everything around him? "Why do your teammate's treat you normally?"

"Well," Naruto said, looking up at the partially covered sky and putting his interlocked hands behind his head, "They don't really know that I'm a jinchuriki. But," Naruto kept speaking in order to stop Fuu from interrupting, "My old academy sensei accepts me. The leader of my village accepts me. I know that with time, my teammates can be my friends. And they'll accept me, too."

"...Friends...?" Fuu said, stretching the word out. A jinchuriki having friends? What a strange concept. "I don't believe you. You're lying. Jinchuriki are monsters. We don't have friends."

Naruto's previous grin twisted into a grimace. "We're not monsters."

"You're wrong! Everyone says we are monsters! How can you stand up to that?" Fuu cried, unable to comprehend his simple words. She had been called a monster, a demon, a _thing_ her entire life and now this new jinchuriki was denying it. One who had been treated as she had, too.

"How can we be monsters?" Naruto retorted, giving Fuu a hard look. "How can we be monsters when there are shinobi out there who have killed more, who have committed worse crimes? Just because we have Biju sealed within us doesn't make us monsters."

"Then why am I treated so badly? You have... friends. You have people who talk to you, who might spend time with you. I have nothing! I've been hated by _everyone_! How-"

"Then I'll be your first friend."

Fuu stopped. Naruto's quick response utterly shocked her, as well as him offering to be her first actual friend. What were his motives? Did he even have any?

"You don't have to accept," Naruto said, turning around and beginning to jump down onto lower branches. "But I'll prove to you that we're not monsters. Jinchuriki can have friends. If you want, I'll be your first friend, even if I am another jinchuriki." With that, Naruto cast Fuu another glance before turning and leaving.

On her own branch, Fuu sank to her knees and stared down at her now outstretched hands. Then she clenched them and closed her eyes.

Naruto had given her much to think about. Jinchuriki weren't monsters and could be accepted. She could be accepted if she only tried, but she had to let go of her hatred towards the village.

If the blonde really wanted to be her friend, then maybe she could. She wasn't sure if he was lying or not, but maybe he did want to be friends with her.

Maybe he did want to help her.

* * *

><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: Questions, comments, or concerns? Send me a PM or leave a review. I was disappointed in how this chapter turned out, but I liked writing the Naruto-Fuu meet-up. It's highly coincidental and would probably never happen, but why the hell not?**

**And this Naruto is nice. He's not a maelstrom (Ha!) of hate like some fics make him out to be. Not that that isn't a bad idea, though.  
><strong>


	10. Assault

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. I really liked writing this, but it's kind of long. And it might get boring. Maybe. I'm not sure.**

**Please leave a review with constructive criticism! I want to know if I'm doing anything that contradicts or is out of place!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Nope, sorry.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Ten: Assault<p>

A man with a blue bandana covering his brown hair, a black face-mask, a gray cloak over his black long-sleeved t-shirt, and gray shinobi slacks giggled to himself. In his opinion, the most exciting part of a mission was the part where you could inflict pain. It was why he was currently dragging a bruised and battered man under the cover of dark night.

Normally, such an act would be caught and punished fairly quickly. However, Kirisame and the rest of his team, including his leader, were proficient in stealth and speed. It was enough to evade Taki-nin patrols and the sweeps that were occasionally sent out.

He snorted. Why they used stealth in this village, he didn't know. It wouldn't make a difference; Taki shinobi were much weaker than he or any other member of his team was. It wasn't as if Shibuki himself would make a difference, either.

The only person who looked to be dangerous was Hatake Kakashi. Even that wouldn't matter much; their numbers would eventually overwhelm and kill him. He would likely be preoccupied with his genin or his surroundings, too.

Kirisame paused for a moment, hearing movement up ahead. He slung the unconscious man over his shoulder and darted into a darkened alley. Several ninja passed overhead, not seeing him due to his pitch-black hiding spot.

Once he thought the area was clear, the rogue Amegakure shinobi swiftly escaped his hiding place and made his way to where his team and several of the grunts were waiting. Each of them would have a hostage in case the situation was not to their liking. It never hurt to be prepared, after all.

The rogue reached the out-of-the-way bar and entered. The man inside paid no heed to his baggage, merely nodding his acknowledgment. Kirisame walked behind the counter the man was wiping and tapped on the wooden floor seven times. A hidden trap-door slid open and he jumped down. Inside this new, dimly lit room sat various shinobi, waiting for further orders.

A man with slightly long, spiky gray hair and a slashed Amegakure forehead protector grunted as Kirisame appeared. He was wearing long arm warmers, a black muscle shirt, and a brown belt that held his blue-gray shinobi pants up. "Took you long enough," Murasame muttered. "Tie the hostage up and put him with the rest." Murasame pointed a thumb towards a shadowed area in the far back of the room, where silhouettes of other people could be seen.

Once the unconscious hostage was tied up and unceremoniously dumped into the corner where the others were being held, the ninja in the room turned their attention to their leader. "Now then," Suien began, leaning against a wooden wall, "Tomorrow is the estimated completion and pickup of the Hero Water and its extract. The team from Konohagakure will be picking up a vial of the Water and various samples of its isolated properties. My team will be taking the Hero Water and I assume you all-" He pointed to the various shinobi with forehead protectors that had a musical note on them, "-will be grabbing the samples.

"I will be taking care of the jounin along with whoever is available. The genin are easy pickings for anyone who wishes to remove them. Village chunin will be attempting to regain control of the situation, but you Oto-nin will stop them. It's rather simple, in my opinion. We go in, grab what we need, kill anyone in our path, and then go from there. Does anyone have any objections?" A pause. "No? Good. Be sure to be ready for tomorrow."

Suien licked his lips. "It's going to be fun."

**VvVvV**

(Team Seven's Hotel – Kakashi's Room)

The genin of Team Seven were assembled in front of their sensei, all three sitting on the ground with their legs crossed. The man was sitting on the only bed in the room, his lazy gaze settling on his students. After a few moments, he began to speak. "Tomorrow is going to be our last day here. I know this must have felt like a vacation to you three, but there is a very likely chance that there's going to be combat."

"So that means they're finishing the extraction process up tomorrow, right? That's probably when any missing-nin will make their move," Sakura said.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes. I'm not sure why they would try to steal the Water while it's still in the village, though. It gives us a higher chance of survival, which is somewhat detrimental to their own objective."

"If they attempt to attack us while we're in the village, then they might have ulterior motives," Sasuke reasoned.

"Possibly," Kakashi conceded. "In any case, I believe you three are ready for tomorrow, should a fight actually happen. If combat does occur, then we will prioritize the Hero Water and the samples. If those are destroyed or stolen, we will fail our mission. Relations between Taki and Konoha won't be strained, but it will still be hit on any future improvements Konoha might come up with.

"If you do find yourself outmatched, flee to the closest group of friendly ninja. Tactically retreating is not a bad thing and you will be of more help alive against many enemies rather than dead against one. Are there any questions?" None of the genin replied, so Kakashi dismissed and sent them to their rooms.

As Sakura entered her own hotel room, she went through her nightly ritual before slipping into the bed. She hoped there wouldn't be a confrontation. She would fight for the mission, of course, but she didn't like fighting. At least, not in the sense of clashing kunai, shuriken, and the spilling of blood. Sakura wasn't a hemophobe by any means, but the prospect of dying still terrified her. Why shouldn't it terrify her? She was a civilian-born ninja without any sort of genetic inclination towards the shinobi arts.

Yet, Sakura's inner self couldn't help but feel that she would try her best, regardless of whether or not the situation went to hell. On their previous C-rank, all she had done was implant a minor genjutsu on their opponent. It hadn't done much at all; Naruto and Sasuke had done most of the work that had allowed Kakashi to finish the foe off.

No one wanted to be left behind, herself included. Her skill with genjutsu was rising and although she wasn't much of a front-line fighter, she could help support her teammates in a clash. By casting her illusions, Naruto and Sasuke could pick off distracted enemies without much trouble, even if her genjutsu were dispelled. Yes, she was sure she wouldn't be useless if a confrontation did occur. Naruto and Sasuke were both improving, and so was she.

In the room Naruto and Sasuke were sharing, both had very different thoughts about the very near future.

On the right side of the room, Sasuke was on his stomach, attempting to fall asleep. He was uneasy about the prospect of fighting additional missing-nin, but it wasn't the battle that had him worried. No, it was the reaction his mother and brother would have. Probably his father as well, but Fugaku could hide it with a mask of indifference. He could have a poker-face good enough to rival a Hyuuga's.

His family knew that he was a shinobi and that he would be facing danger every time he went out of the village (he'd only gone out of it twice, as of now!), but it didn't stop them from worrying. There was always that chance, no matter how small, that the mission could go to hell and he could come home without any teammates, or them without him.

Dying wasn't so intimidating, he thought. What really caused him to shudder were the troubles and grief his family would go through if they lost him. He would never admit it, but he was his mother's "baby" (in her own words), and he meant much to her. He was still young and his brother was already seeking to move out of the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

Sasuke didn't want to see the reaction of his family if he died on a mission. Well, he couldn't since he would be dead, but he could make out their faces in his own mind. What he visualized scared him to the core. No matter what, he'd fight to his best to spare his family that grief.

On the separate, other bed of the room, Naruto was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He wasn't really tired, but his mind was whirling. He hadn't spoken to Fuu after he had found her. He didn't know if she could approach him or not, but he couldn't help but wonder if she would take him up on his other. Sure, they were from different villages, but that didn't mean they couldn't be friends, could it? Or at least acquaintances, right?

Part of him wished that he could visit her one more time. He needed more time! A single encounter wouldn't be enough to drag someone out of their misery. He knew that very well, considering how many times Iruka had visited him in order to try and beat the school-work into his head. It didn't really work, but Naruto appreciated the effort.

Taki's jinchuriki would likely be craving such a relationship. The village's loathing of her had caused her to isolate herself, but that wasn't what she probably wanted. Being isolated in such a way wouldn't make her happy. Naruto knew that and it was why he was so determined to help her.

Plus, he wanted another friend. He could probably call Sasuke a friend, but his interactions with Sakura were still iffy. Naruto hoped that with time, that would fix itself. Now that he wasn't actively pursuing her (there really was no reason to, especially at their ages), the prospect of her being an actual friend was much higher.

He still wished she would stop smacking him whenever he pissed her off. At least Sasuke made a joke out of it. That felt strange for awhile, considering how quiet he'd been in the academy. Maybe it was an act to get away from the fangirls...

Too bad the quiet attitude ended up attracting more girls than was possible.

Naruto shook his head to clear away the stray thoughts. It was time to sleep. It wouldn't do to be tired tomorrow.

**VvVvV**

_This is bad_, Shibuki thought while nervously pacing around his office, _Really, really bad_. Of course it was bad, several hostages had been snatched from the village, right under their noses! Some were important officials while others were civilians that ran, or helped run various shops and stores. It was a kick to the village's pride, as well as a mockery of the skill of Takigakure's shinobi.

Once the sun came up, several civilians and shinobi had brought the issue to his office. Several officials and certain civilians missing under the cover of night? It was too organized to simply be a random outing. Missing-nin were definitely in the village with hostages as their trumps.

Shibuki was not a powerful shinobi. His specialty was in politics and ever since he had been sworn into office, the economy of Takigakure had been steadily increasing. It wasn't bad before, but it was certainly improving the quality of life.

With hostages taken and the synthesis of the Hero Water nearly being completed, he had no doubt in his mind what the next target would be. Shibuki sent one of his chunin over to where Team Seven was staying with information on what was happening, as well as an urging to head over to where the extraction process was taking place.

Another village-wide message was sent out in order to put his ninja on high alert. Everyone from genin to the very few jounin had to be cautious. Suien wasn't a meticulous person, but Shibuki didn't know how much men he might have brought with him. Suien knew the ins and outs of the village, so smuggling additional missing-nin or hired hands into the village wouldn't be too difficult, either.

Shibuki stopped pacing and slumped into his chair. He could only hope that Suien wouldn't let this go out of control. By the end of the day, there would be casualties. If he was lucky, none of the Konohagakure shinobi would die or suffer debilitating injuries.

Taki's leader groaned. This was going be a hell of a day.

**VvVvV**

"Oh, god..." Sakura whispered with wide eyes. Team Seven, hidden by a genjutsu cast by Sakura, watched as four shinobi in gray attire, coupled with masks and bandanas, approached a civilian who was backed up against a particularly large tree root. All around the area they had been guarding for the past few days were the bodies of the other civilians, all covered in deep gashes. Blood was pooling in certain areas and one civilian had his arm hacked off. That limb was nowhere in sight, too.

"Give us the case and the Water and we might let you live," one of the shinobi said in a gruff voice.

"N-no! This Water is important to the future of our village! I won't let you fools take it!" You had to hand it to this man. Cracked voice or not, he was still putting up a brave front even as his life flashed before his eyes.

Then one of the enemy shinobi took a menacing step forward. "So be it. What's one more life in the grand scheme of things?" He took out a kunai and made to stab the civilian, but Team Seven leapt into action, the genjutsu dropping as they did so.

Kakashi, easily being the fastest of them all, sunk a kunai into the back of the about-to-attack shinobi, causing him to release a gasp before he crumpled. Sakura took up a position near the downed civilian, ready to fire off her illusions when necessary. Naruto and Sasuke were both more suited to direct confrontations and engaged the remaining three enemy shinobi.

Naruto reacted first, flipping through seals and unleashing a beefed up Great Breakthrough. The intense winds buffeted his foes, blowing them away while Sasuke went through his own handseals and shot lightning bolts from his fingertips. His aim was spot-on and hit all three of the enemies directly, stunning and incapacitating them.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked, looking over him to make sure there weren't any glaring wounds. The man shakily rose, ignoring the sight of his fallen comrades and of the now-dead shinobi who had tried to kill him.

"I'm fine, thank you. But forget about me. More will be coming soon, I know it!" The man reached inside his white coat and pulled out an elegantly designed, small bottle of water and a thin, small black case. "Take these and keep them with you. We finished earlier this morning before those bastards attacked." Kakashi took out a sealing scroll, sealed the items within, and replaced it.

"You are all aware of the situation, correct? There are quite a few hostages that have been taken and the damage will be staggering if we just leave the village as it is." Kakashi walked over to the floating bodies of the other three mystery shinobi. He made a mental note about the familiar musical note on their headband before slapping one of them awake. "You, tell me where the rest of your team is."

The man remained silent. There would be no time for an interrogation, so Kakashi motioned Naruto and Sasuke over and had them drag the bodies to the muddy bank nearby. "I'm not going to sugarcoat this. There isn't time for an interrogation, so I'm going to kill them, unless one of you would like to volunteer?"

The pale faces of his students gave him his answer. "You all will have to kill someone eventually. It's better to do it now rather than freeze up in the middle of a potentially life-threatening conflict."

"I'll... I'll do it," Sasuke whispered. Kakashi watched as Sasuke took out a kunai and held it over the one conscious ninja. The ninja seemed to be laughing at Sasuke, relishing in the boy's expression, in how his hand was shaking.

After a few agonizingly long minutes, Sasuke's eyes hardened. There was a time and place to think about killing someone, and now wasn't it. Lives were at stake and with the amount of hostages that had been taken, there was a small force attacking the village. Sasuke brought the kunai down and cleanly slit his enemy's neck.

The Uchiha turned back to his team, ignoring the gurgles as the dead man futilely tried to close up the hole in his throat. "Come on. We can think about this later. Innocent people are still out there."

"Sasuke-kun... are you all right?" Sakura looked at her crush with worried eyes. Killing someone was a big deal and Sasuke was shrugging it off like it was nothing.

"We have more important things to worry about right now. I'll deal with this later." Sasuke smiled at his teammates, but it came out slightly strained.

"Sasuke is right," Naruto said. "There are still people out there." As if to support his point, an explosion went off right in their field of vision, far-off within the city. It didn't bode well for anyone in the blast radius.

"You three, stay together and help any Takigakure shinobi who is dealing with enemy ninja!" Kakashi barked in a firm tone. "I'm going to find Shibuki and try to figure out where we should go from here."

Their orders received, all three genin nodded and began to run, splitting off from the route their sensei was taking.

**VvVvV**

(With Kakashi)

Shibuki growled as he ducked under another brace of shuriken. Yes, this had definitely gone to hell. He had identified ninja from several villages, but most of them had slashed forehead protectors. So, most were missing-nin. What worried him was the amount of shinobi he had come across wearing a forehead protector with a musical note on it. It wasn't one he recognized and thus, he couldn't _do_ anything (politically, anyway). He liked to think of himself as well-informed, but this just annoyed him to no end.

On a wide, deserted street with various houses and shops on each side, Shibuki fought against two shinobi with the musical note on their forehead protector. They had no real techniques, but they were fast, well-equipped, and could at least pull off their basics. Two bodies near him signified the deaths of his village's own shinobi.

This time both of his enemies ran forward. One punched at his torso while another tried to sweep his legs. Shibuki quickly backtracked and flipped through a set of seals. "Suiton: Water Dragon Bullet!"

Shibuki opened his mouth and expelled a large amount of water which quickly took the form of a dragon with glowing yellow eyes. The water-beast roared and slammed into its enemies with extreme force.

"Not bad," a voice said. Shibuki turned his head in the direction where the voice came from, seeing Hatake Kakashi jump down from a nearby roof. "When did they begin assaulting the village?"

"About half an hour ago. They began attacking a few minutes after I sent that chunin contact. Speaking of which, where's your team?"

"I've instructed to help friendly shinobi. I don't want them attempting to take these guys down on their own."

"Then you are going to help me remove this... _threat_ to my village. You have the Water and samples, I presume?" At Kakashi's nod, he continued. "Good. Now then, let's get to work. I suppose I'll have to pay you for this afterward."

Kakashi only snorted as two more Oto-nin appeared on the rooftops.

**VvVvV**

(With Team Seven)

Sasuke grunted as he blocked a haymaker from one of the taller enemy shinobi. It rattled his bones, but he was sure there wouldn't be any lasting damage. Sasuke quickly kneed his enemy in the groin, causing him to double over before he spun and elbowed the man in his now-reachable face. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Sasuke grit his teeth as he looked around. Sakura was tending to a wounded shinobi, while Naruto was nowhere in sight. When the three shinobi that were battling the single Taki-nin noticed them, Sasuke took two of them on with the friendly's help, but the last one had gone after Naruto. He had no idea where that particular battle had ended up.

Sasuke ran to the side of the house the Taki-nin was leaning on. Sakura had finished applying emergency first-aid and was now back on guard. "Did you guys see where Naruto went?" Sasuke asked. His teammate and the Taki-nin both shook their head. Sasuke cursed under his breath.

"Mmm... You don't look half bad, kid." A sultry voice drifted out from above. The owner was a young, tall, and slim woman with short brown hair, red lipstick, and a white hairband to keep the hair out of her eyes. She had an open, light-blue shirt with a pale tube-top underneath, as well as dark blue shinobi pants, a kunai holster, and shinobi sandals. She had a feral grin painted on her face as she took in the sight beneath her. "If we weren't enemies, I might've taken you home."

Sakura felt anger bubbling within her as the enemy kunoichi's eyes raked Sasuke's body. That wasn't fair at all! She was too young to have a chest like that!

"You do realize I'm thirteen, right?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.

The woman merely shrugged. "And? I'm twenty-three. When you put on a shinobi forehead protector, you're legally recognized as an adult anyway. So what we could do would be completely allowable within the law. Morally speaking however, probably not."

Sasuke stared at her. "You're fucking kidding me, right? I'm helping this village, you're an enemy, and we're talking about a more-than-friendly relationship between a teenager and an adult."

Once again, the woman shrugged. "Fine, fine. I'll fight you. Such a shame you aren't using your eyes, though." Then the woman jumped down from her position on the rooftop and landed in the middle of the street, slowly walking forward in a seductive manner.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. It wasn't obvious to tell he was an Uchiha (Clan symbol on the back of his shirt, duh), but he didn't like being reminded that he didn't have his Sharingan awakened yet. Flipping through seals, Sasuke intoned, "Katon: Grand Fireball!" before releasing a ten-foot tall and wide churning sphere of flame at the kunoichi.

The kunoichi channeled chakra to her legs, jumping right over the fireball and launching several shuriken that Sasuke easily avoided by jumping and rolling to his right. When he hastily resumed his defensive stance, he realized that the kunoichi was right in his face. She had a kunai in a reverse grip and brought it down, attempting to stab Sasuke in the chest. He was able to stop the attack with his own kunai, although he couldn't really push her away due to the height difference.

The woman leaned down to Sasuke's level, unperturbed by his efforts. "You know," she began in a husky tone of voice, "I like scrappy kids. I'm Hisame, by the way. What's your name?" Sasuke's face slightly reddened even as his teeth grit from the effort it was taking to push her away.

He shifted his body to his right once more and gave Hisame some room to move. As she brought the kunai to his chest, Sasuke twisted his torso to the left, allowing the weapon to pass him by even as he attempted to sweep the kunoichi's legs out from under her. Hisame jumped back, raising a demure eyebrow at how close her foe had let the blade get. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke and I'll teach you not to underestimate me."

"Is that so?" Hisame smirked. Oh, this would be very amusing. Toying with inexperienced boys was always fun to do, especially when they tried to use bravado to make themselves seem bigger than they were. "Maybe you can show me a good time, then."

The Taki-nin that Sakura was guarding groaned in pain as he shifted his weight against the wall. "Look, you need to help your teammate. This woman is obviously stronger than the grunts we've faced. I'll be fine, go!" The pink-haired genin hesitated for but a moment. Then she ran out, determined to help Sasuke out.

Hisame watched with some interest as a pink-haired girl took up a position behind the Uchiha. "So your teammate is going to partake in this?" The kunoichi tapped a finger against her chin as she looked up, seemingly in thought. "I guess you would need another person to tag-team me. It'll be more fun this way, too."

She gave the genin another feral grin and brought her hands together, causing Sasuke and Sakura to tense up.

**VvVvV**

(With Naruto)

Naruto's foe hit the wall of a nearby house with a sickening crunch before he collapsed. Naruto exhaled in relief, bringing his arms down. Sasuke had killed someone, but that didn't mean he was ready to. Sasuke probably had his family counseling him about death and its possibility on certain missions. Plus, it was more dire than usual right now. Sasuke would probably end up thinking back on it later, but truly, there wasn't time to do that at the moment.

The blonde cursed to himself as he looked around. He had forgotten where his teammates were in his zeal to finish his enemy off. In the corner of his eye he noticed black blurs jumping towards his location. Groaning, Naruto turned to face them as three more of those musical note shinobi jumped down. _Seriously,_ Naruto thought, _This is a minor village and there's a mini-army with hostages running around. I hope Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, and Sakura are doing all right._

Naruto brought his hands together in a cross seal, muttered under his breath, and willed fourteen clones into existence. Each clone, including the real one, took advantage of the enemy's surprise to quickly equip their clawed gauntlets. "All right, let's do this!" The real Naruto shouted, causing all of the other clones to pump their fists and charge forward.

Up close, despite Naruto's improvements in taijutsu and his incorporation of wind manipulation, the clones were quickly dispelled by the three enemy shinobi. However, one of his clones had managed to leave a nasty gash across the chest of one of the ninja which was bleeding freely. The affliction caused the man to hunch over, his growling very audible to Naruto's ears.

Then the two uninjured men blurred forward even as Naruto formed additional shadow clones to act as buffers. The clash of metal on metal rang out and pops were heard when Naruto's clones fell. The third shinobi who had taken the breather due to his wound jumped between his comrades, intent on killing the short boy who had harmed him.

Naruto leaned back sharply, using his smaller frame to evade the man's right hook. He couldn't avoid the kick to his side that sent him sailing to the ground. In a moment, all three of his foes were looking down at him. One of them had an evil grin on his face.

His ribs were probably cracked if the pain told him anything. Naruto grit his teeth and brought his arms up, but they were both stomped on. He cried out from the pain but had to settle on glaring at the three shinobi holding him down. Each of them had an expression that clearly said they were enjoying his agony.

One of them took out a kunai, chuckling softly to himself. Naruto snarled, but a kick across his face cut him off. Now his jaw was throbbing and his scenario wasn't much better. The blonde flared his chakra, willing something, _anything_, to happen.

He watched as the man above him readied his kunai.

Then he felt something.

Something different. He couldn't recall where he had felt it before, but he was sure he had felt it before. An otherworldly, oppressive feeling. It wasn't evil, nor was it good, but rather, just overbearing.

Then his enemies hesitated, one looking around for the feeling's source.

Suddenly, something moving at an incredibly fast pace slammed into the man. His comrades were in the path of impact as well, and so whatever hit the first man continued forward and slammed into the other two.

Naruto blinked and missed it. One moment he was sure he was about to get badly hurt- maybe even killed- and the next, all three of the men above him were gone. He did, however, hear several loud _thumps_ a distance away. He struggled to his feet, holding his ribs, which felt nowhere near as bad as he first thought.

In front of him, he saw two pairs of shimmering, green, bug-like wings that he was certain had no place on the caramel-skinned girl they belonged to. Naruto hobbled forward in an attempt to get a better look. He could see bent, broken bodies nearby.

Then she turned to face him, her wings fading and her green aura dissipating. He was sure her eyes were glowing at some point, but he shrugged that off. Naruto gave Fuu a grateful smile. "Thanks, Fuu. You probably saved me right there."

"That is what friends do, right?" Fuu asked. Her head was cocked in a vaguely familiar motion. She hurried forward to Naruto as he collapsed on his knees, hissing slightly from a particularly painful twang of his ribs. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I've always healed pretty quickly and I bet we both know why," Naruto responded. Fuu helped him up, minding the sharp claws of the strange gauntlets Naruto was currently wearing. "Can I ask you something?" Without waiting for her to nod, Naruto kept talking, "Were you _flying_?"

"Err... yes. It's what my Biju's chakra grants me. I'm the jinchuriki of the Nanabi, or Seven-tailed Rhinoceros Beetle." She paused, examining Naruto's odd look. "Haven't you drawn on your own Biju's chakra before?"

"No, I haven't. I didn't even know we could do that." Using the Nine-tailed Demon Fox's chakra? What would happen if he did that? He wouldn't gain wings, that he was sure of.

"There's a reason why we're supposed to be weapons," Fuu murmured, her orange eyes scanning the rooftops for any backup. Using demonic chakra was practically a homing beacon for any half-assed ninja with talent in sensing.

"Maybe you could teach me how to use it? After we sort through this mess, of course." Fuu glanced at him for a moment before shaking her head. "We have different Biju and therefore, different effects when the demonic chakra is used. I'm not sure how you'd draw on your Biju's power."

"Well... let's go find my team and help your village. We can think about this later." Fuu nodded, only deciding to go along because of her new... friend. Naruto channeled chakra to his legs and jumped onto the nearest roof. Fuu followed shortly after, seeking out friendly shinobi to help.

**VvVvV**

(With Sasuke and Sakura)

Hisame cracked the water whip against the ground, the sound causing Sasuke and Sakura to slightly jump. "Let's see how how much stamina you two have," she said with a smirk. With a flick of her wrist, the whip sailed forward at a rapid pace towards Sakura.

The whip, too fast for Sakura to dodge, scored a direct hit. Or, it would've hit her, had she not faded from view. In her place were pink flower petals that suddenly multiplied and began flying everywhere as if blown by wind.

Hisame snorted. Then her hand snapped out, catching Sasuke in the gut and sending him flying back. She heard a gasp nearby and turned in that direction, relishing in Sakura's stunned expression. "Really, girl. You're going to need more than that to tie me up."

Several approaching fireballs returned her attention to Sasuke. The fireballs were spread out, although aimed carefully as to not cause damage to the housing in the area. Hisame was able to avoid them all before she sent out her water whip at the Uchiha.

Although Sasuke was much faster than Sakura, the whip was faster still, and enshrouded him, rendering his arms useless and his mobility removed. Hisame smirked. She really wished the battle lasted longer. The Uchiha was the main threat and the pink-haired girl seemed to be useless in combat, genjutsu included.

Her body received a sharp jolt and tremors of pain wracked her. The water whip lost its form and fell to the ground, steam slightly rising from the puddles that appeared. Hisame's lithe form was shaking, spams running through her muscles every few seconds. She looked up at Sasuke, her eyes narrowing at his victorious smirk.

Sakura took out a brace of kunai and threw them at the kunoichi. Despite her handicap, she flipped away form the impending metal, landing in a crouch. "I hadn't expected an Uchiha without a pair of Sharingan to have lightning jutsu. It's kind of a turn on."

Sasuke sighed. "I guess that wasn't enough to stop you, right? Right, well..." He trailed off and then rushed forward, his fist cocked back. Hisame, with the motor functions of her upper body still somewhat jumbled, clumsily blocked the first punch, but could not stop the other one from hitting her lower ribs. She automatically doubled over and Sasuke took advantage of that to drive his heel solidly into her stomach, sending her flying.

She hit the ground and rolled a few times before leaping back to her feet. She scowled at the triumphant laugh from the pink-haired girl. The mobility of her upper body and arms about was quickly returning and although her stomach was throbbing in pain, there wasn't any serious damage. If anything, she had a bruise.

Sasuke began to glance around warily, feeling something strange permeate the air. Sakura's eyes also began to flit around, as if seeking the source of the strange presence in the air. The injured Taki-nin's face paled as he twisted his head back and forth in panic.

Hisame frowned. It seemed as if the jinchuriki had attacked someone. Suien seemed to believe that she wouldn't care for the village and would just let it burn, but apparently not. The feeling lasted for a minute more before fading.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked, still in a defensive stance. Whatever he had just felt made him extremely nervous.

Hisame giggled to herself. She wondered if these genin knew what jinchuriki were supposed to be. "I'm not supposed to tell you that." She dashed forward, increasing her speed to the point where Sasuke had trouble following her. Up close, she sent out a flurry of punches and jabs at Sasuke's midsection, pegging him several times over before he jumped away.

Sasuke rubbed his side, glaring at Hisame. "So everything beforehand was just foreplay."

The kunoichi outright laughed. "You got that right. It was satisfying for a while, but now we're going to have to finish up. It's not like you can last as long as I can." She suddenly bent at her waist in a ninety degree angle, avoiding the wave of shuriken Sakura had thrown. "I do appreciate the effort, though."

Bringing her hands together and going through three seals, Hisame shouted, "Suiton: Water Trumpet!" A large amount of pressurized water was expelled from her mouth with enough speed to hit Sasuke once and send him careening into a wall. He was still active however, so Hisame shot the jutsu once more. This time, Sasuke dodged it, but he fell to one knee in exhaustion.

"This is over, Uchiha. It was fun while it lasted, but there's only so much that you can do." She turned her gaze over to Sakura who was gritting her teeth at having her illusions dispelled over and over again. Hisame shook her head and took to the rooftops, not seeing much of a point to kill such weak genin. That was Kirisame's thing, not hers.

Once she was gone, Sakura ran up to Sasuke, checking him over for any wounds. "Are you all right, Sasuke-kun?" she asked. Sakura gasped when Sasuke met her gaze, seeing a pair of two-tomoe Sharingan eyes blazing. "Sasuke-kun, your eyes!"

Sasuke frowned and looked down at a puddle. In his reflection he could see his newly awakened Sharingan. _Huh,_ he thought, _I thought it would feel better than this._ Shaking his head, he turned back to Sakura. "Are you all right, Sakura? I know you were trying to ensnare her in a genjutsu, but she was above our level."

"I'm fine. Where do you think she went?"

"Probably to find Kakashi-sensei. Hero Water, remember? The other shinobi aren't that big of a deal, but she's one of the stronger ninja. Come on, let's get someone over here to take care of him." He motioned over to the still-downed Taki-nin, who had long-since lost consciousness.

**VvVvV**

(With Kakashi and Shibuki)

"I was not aware your jinchuriki was helping protect the village," Suien said, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

Shibuki frowned at that. Kakashi's and Shibuki's battles had taken them across the village and onto the wide lake around the massive tree in the middle of the village. Suien was in front of them, along with two other shinobi they did not recognize. All around the five shinobi were what was left of the initial attackers- about eight men with sound-symbols and three with slashed out forehead protectors from other villages.

"Where are you hiding the hostages, Suien?" Shibuki asked in a clipped tone. He was far more interested in the safety of the people in his village than some plot for power. Most of the civilians had been evacuated to shelters while the Takigakure shinobi fought off the forces Suien had brought.

"I think this is an old-fashioned showdown. Don't you?"

"This is no time for your games, Suien. Where are the hostages?"

Suien held up a placating hand. "Don't worry about that, my dear student. How about a deal?"

Kakashi's eye narrowed. He hadn't used his Sharingan yet (honestly, most of the enemies he and Shibuki had killed were pathetic), but Suien's ultimatum would inevitably be some sort of predictable trade.

Suien suddenly frowned deeply. "I would have thought our allies could remove liabilities from battle, but apparently not."

Kakashi took a quick look behind him. Outside of the circle of shinobi, Sasuke and Sakura had appeared, both looking a bit worse for wear. Another woman suddenly somersaulted through the air, landing right beside the men next to Suien. "Yeah, don't whine, Suien. Sharingan Kakashi is more of a threat and those two genin are already low on chakra." Suien grunted. "I don't see the blonde brat, though. Did he die already?"

"I would think so," Suien said, smirking slightly. He could see the haunted expressions on the faces of the genin, although the jounin didn't seem perturbed in the least. "In any case," Suien continued, "You are all outnumbered. My team and I are all jounin and the shinobi surrounding you are chunin-level, minimum. I suggest you hand over the Hero Water in exchange for the hostages, and we _might_ consider your continued existence."

Kakashi snorted. He could handle every chunin-level shinobi in the middle of the lake himself and probably even the now-four jounin. He didn't really have an accurate idea of how strong they were, but definitely not S-rank. If they were S-rank shinobi, he would've known their identities by heart.

"Very well," Shibuki replied. Kakashi glanced at him, wondering what he was getting at. Shibuki reached into a pouch near his waist and took out an ornately designed bottle. Kakashi's eye widened. Apparently, there wasn't just a single bottle of Hero Water in the village.

"First, where are the hostages?"

"In a hidden compartment in a bar down the fourth district. They're all fine. We didn't hurt them. Well, I didn't. I can't say much for the poor fool that Kirisame took." Chuckling echoed around them. Shibuki nodded and stepped forward to lob the Hero Water to Suien.

"Wait!"

A new voice.

"He's lying!"

What?

"We've already got the hostages to safety!"

A whip of water enclosed around the bottle, yanking it from Shibuki's hand and into the outstretched fingers of Suien's. His expression was carefully neutral. "I guess the jinchuriki helped more than we thought..."

A distance away from the clustering of shinobi stood Naruto and Fuu, along with a _lot _of solid clones. Sasuke and Sakura seemed grateful for reinforcements; they weren't looking forward to fighting so many enemies, even if their sensei and Taki's leader was helping them.

Plus, learning that Naruto was still alive also helped brighten their chances. It gave them some of their confidence back.

Murasame frowned as the clones jumped forward. They were just clones. Was this supposed to intimidate the-

He saw the splashes they were making and the spray of very real droplets. _Solid_ clones.

Interesting.

Ten clones were assigned to each Oto-nin, claws outstretched and held at the ready. Murasame was impressed by the amount of chakra the genin had.

Suien opened the bottle and downed the water in one gulp, preparing to manipulate his chakra flow in order to control the duration of the Water's effects. His chakra forcefully exploded outward, becoming visible as an aura of blue surrounding his body.

Kakashi let his Sharingan eye see the light of day once more.

And then everyone jumped into battle, causing total and utter pandemonium.

Each clone was fighting viciously and with wind manipulation, they were able to cut down quite a few of the enemies. Each clone shrugged off the disconcerting sight of blood flowing freely into water, but they were sure most of the enemies weren't dead.

Metal was flashing everywhere, either from Naruto's gauntlets or from thrown weapons. Sasuke, Sharingan blazing, was able to keep track of _everything_. It felt amazing. It also helped that he was fast enough to evade the two missing-nin who were currently attacking him. Eventually, their attacks became poor, uncoordinated. They seemed to trip over their own feet.

Sasuke internally smirked. Sakura was messing with them. He jumped forward, his fists snapping into the necks of his enemies, sending them to the shallow water. While both shinobi were struggling to breathe, Sasuke knocked them out with two well-placed kicks to each head.

That girl that Naruto had appeared with tugged at his memory, but he disregarded that as he watched her run through seals and cause a massive wave of water to crash down on the last three remaining shinobi that were once surrounding Shibuki and Kakashi. It helped that Naruto had used the Great Breakthrough to increase its concussive force.

Those three shinobi were cleanly knocked out. The wave of water kept rushing towards where Shibuki, Kakashi, Suien, and the other three missing-nin were fighting.

Shibuki was rapidly losing. He was seriously outmatched in this. Four jounin against him and he was only a high-level chunin. Even if Hatake Kakashi was backing him up, it was a recipe for disaster. Shibuki ducked under another wide strike from a water whip and jumped backward, hurling kunai towards his attackers. Kakashi's hands blurred through seals and sent out a water dragon...

...Which was then repulsed when two of Suien's teammate's went through a series of their own seals and slammed their palms down on the water, causing an extremely large wall of water to encircle them and rush outward. Shibuki's kunai, as well as the incoming crashing wave of water were also deflected by the jutsu.

Kakashi was able to avoid the wave, but Shibuki, Sasuke, and Sakura were swept away by the rapidly changing flow of churning water, along with the bodies, dead and unconscious, of the Oto- and missing-nin.

Naruto was protected due to his proximity with Fuu, who parted the approaching wall in an advanced water manipulation maneuver.

"Shit!" Naruto shouted. "Kakashi-sensei is all alone with those four!" Naruto hesitated for a moment, wondering what to do. His teammates were almost certainly hurt and Shibuki had been tossed aside as well.

He couldn't just abandon them, but helping them would make no difference if the missing-nin weren't stopped. From what he could see, Kakashi wasn't doing very well. He couldn't launch any attacks and was almost exclusively evading barrages of metal and jutsu.

"Fuu," Naruto began, turning to look at his fellow jinchuriki, "Let's go kick some ass."

"Are you sure? They _are_ roughly jounin and your sensei seems to having trouble."

"Who cares! We need to help!" Fuu nodded at Naruto's insistence, but she was still nervous. Something bad was going to happen, she just knew it.

The green-haired girl once more gathered her Biju's chakra, causing two pairs of glowing, green wings to sprout from her back. Her normally orange eyes were now shining a brilliant emerald green.

Naruto was already dashing towards the battle, so Fuu took flight and rushed onward.

**VvVvV**

(With Kakashi)

Kakashi hated his job at the moment. The mission was solidly A-rank by now. Of course his luck would be this bad. After Wave, it was too much to hope for a classic delivery mission. Nope, Team Seven doesn't get any easy-come, easy-go missions. Not at all.

Kakashi made a mental note to kill whoever kept taking the escort missions.

With the three tomoe in his eye spinning, Kakashi was putting in his full effort into avoiding the whips of water, shuriken, and the chakra-wreathed punches that were being thrown his way. Whenever he avoided one, another one of the missing-nin would attack in order to rob him of an opening. Luckily, he was faster than any one of them, which helped tremendously in escaping serious injury.

Then the predatory grins on their faces changed to ones of irritation. The man with gray hair- Murasame, according to their banter- jumped away as something large moving at a high speed whizzed past the previous position. He heard a growl from the masked one- Kirisame- as that missing-nin jumped up and away to avoid a blonde-haired boy's attack.

"Naruto? What are you doing? These guys are above your skill level!"

Naruto snorted and backtracked to avoid a retaliatory water whip. Fuu was hovering above him using her chakra wings, the aura around her body being a bright green. "Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. I won't let you do this alone! I won't leave you behind!"

Kakashi made a mental note to instill self-preservation in Naruto's head. Jumping into a jounin-level battle was not particularly smart in regards to that.

Suien laughed harshly. "A genin, jinchuriki, and jounin. Hisame, take out the jinchuriki. Kirisame, kill the blonde. Murasame and I will kill Kakashi." The jounin split up, each heading towards their designated target.

Naruto watched the jounin across from him chuckle darkly. "Of course, they know me best. Take out the child, they say. It will be fun, they say." Naruto blinked and the jounin was in front of him. "I'm going to enjoy this, brat!" A crushing kick to his chest sent Naruto bouncing across the water before he managed to right himself.

He almost didn't have time to block when another kick flew towards his face. The hit did connect though, causing pain to erupt from the part of his forearms that wasn't protected by his gauntlets. "Are you liking my strength, brat?" Kirisame laughed sadistically as he swiftly punched Naruto in the face, breaking his nose.

Naruto tried to get some breathing room, but Kirisame was relentless, continually landing blows on his sides, his stomach, his chest, and his face. The blonde simply wasn't fast enough to strike back.

Kirisame was cackling as he landed blow after blow. "This is what Konoha has to offer? Sending mere children to their deaths? Pathetic!" The jounin grabbed Naruto by the neck and dragged him to the muddy shore nearby. He sneered down at the badly beaten, semi-conscious blonde. "And once I'm done with you, I'm going to kill your little friends, too."

Crimson eyes with slitted pupils greeted the world, unleashing unadulterated rage and malice to its enemies.

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><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: The innuendos were first unintentional... and then I laughed at myself and made them intentional.**

**Comments, questions, concerns? Leave a review! Constructive criticism always helps.**

**I never watched the Waterfall Village episode.  
><strong>

***All of the jutsu used in this chapter are the English translations. I'm not Japanese, so I guess I won't say the jutsu in Japanese. The suffixes are just here because they're ingrained in my head.**


	11. Chakra

**A/N: Read/Review and enjoy the chapter. I like criticism.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

><p>Chapter Eleven: Chakra<p>

Sasuke's eyes scanned the battlefield. Sakura was next to him, unconscious. That massive wave of water had knocked her out and Shibuki was tending to her. All three shinobi were pretty banged up, but luckily, there were no serious injuries. All they had were some cuts and bruises as well as exhaustion. Nothing life-threatening, thankfully.

Naruto and that green-haired girl were still fighting alongside Kakashi. He didn't know how strong that girl was, but Naruto was not capable of facing down a jounin-level ninja. Why the blonde decided to stay in the battle, Sasuke didn't know.

With his Sharingan active, Sasuke could determine who had the most chakra in the battlefield. He found it odd how Naruto and the girl both seemed to have larger reserves than all of the jounin, Kakashi included. They even had more chakra than the one who had gulped down the Hero Water!

What was even stranger was that the green-haired girl- Fuu, that was her name- had chakra that matched the color of her hair. The chakra of ninja was supposed to appear blue, according to his brother and the lessons taught in the academy. So why did hers appear a brilliant green?

Then he saw Shibuki's eyes widen and heard the man's sharp intake of breath.

That was followed by a feeling of dread. It made him want to die; made him want to run away and never turn back. In his minds eye, he saw himself being mauled by an unidentifiable beast capable of great destruction.

Sasuke took a slow, deep breath in order to calm his shaking.

It was similar to what Fuu was giving off, but it felt worse. This chakra had malice in it. If he didn't know better, Sasuke would think that the chakra had a mind of its own and wanted to eradicate everything in the vicinity.

Where was it coming from? He trailed his eyes across the watery field of combat.

Blood-red chakra was bleeding out from a large source. Sasuke's eyes widened.

Like the girl, Naruto had that... _otherworldly _kind of chakra. But, his teammate had normal, if not a ridiculous amount of, chakra when he observed him earlier. Come to think of it, so did the girl Naruto jumped in with.

"Shibuki-san," Sasuke said, turning to face the leader of Takigakure. His hard voice caused Shibuki to focus on him. "How does Fuu have that chakra? Chakra isn't supposed to be green, nor is it supposed to be red. Is that a bloodline?"

In one moment, Shibuki realized why Naruto had asked those questions days ago. He would have thought it was some sort of positioning regarding their mission, but his teammates didn't seem to know. Well, Sasuke and Sakura didn't seem to know. The jounin-sensei most likely did.

So it was just a simple mission that Konoha's jinchuriki had the luck of being sent on. From Sasuke's reaction, Naruto probably hadn't drawn on his Biju's chakra before today. He also knew which Biju was likely sealed within the blonde, given the color of the chakra, not to mention the malice it was emanating.

"Ask him yourself. It's not something I should say," Shibuki replied. He gave Sasuke a stern look before continuing. "Everyone has their secrets, after all."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, returning his attention to the pulsing red that was Naruto.

**VvVvV**

Kirisame jumped away as Naruto roared, his wounds and bruises healing right before the jounin's eyes. The red chakra enshrouded him, giving the blonde an aura that clung tightly to his skin. The whisker-marks on his face became more prominent, his canines enlarged, and the aura thickened around his gauntlets.

And then Kirisame's world exploded in pain. He screamed, putting both hands to his now-bleeding face. He felt two quick rib-shattering punches to his chest and then he fell to his knees, panting heavily. He removed his bloody hands from his face, coughing violently as he did so.

How had the blows connected? He didn't even see the blonde move! One second the brat was on the muddy ground beginning to rise and the next, Kirisame felt pain. Clearly, that strange power gave him more than a healing advantage. The jounin could attempt to use a jutsu, but the pain caused by the deep gashes on his face were an extreme distraction.

The man's cracked, possibly broken ribs didn't help much either.

Kirisame grit his teeth in anger at having been hurt so badly. "What... what are you!"

Naruto blinked, looking at his claws. The red chakra was thicker around the metal and seemed to form a second skin- or rather, a third skin. The blonde looked back at the disabled jounin, whose nostrils were flaring in anger and disbelief.

Without a second, addled thought, Naruto appeared in front of him, sinking his right hand into Kirisame's chest in a knife-strike. The jounin gasped, blood dripping from his open mouth before his eyes lost their light.

Dark chuckling echoed throughout his head, alerting him of Fuu and Kakashi's separate battles. Telling him what would happen to them if he failed. Describing to him the deaths of his friends and comrades. The Kyuubi-charged Naruto bared his teeth and rushed to where Fuu was fighting.

For the most part, the tanned girl was stuck in a stalemate. Her opponent could neutralize her Suiton jutsu, yet couldn't actually reach the jinchuriki due to her wings. It was quickly becoming frustrating, especially since Fuu was much more used to her one-shot, one-kill attacks.

Fuu did have a technique granted to her by her Biju that could potentially turn the tables on the jounin, but it was highly destructive and she didn't really want to resort to using it.

The sudden, familiar taint of demonic chakra did not escape her notice.

The Nanabi jinchuriki withheld her next attempt at dive-bombing the jounin when a red-orange blur slammed into Hisame, much like Fuu had done to several other shinobi earlier. The jounin leapt away, shock evident on her features. Fuu swooped down next to Naruto, hovering in place behind him. "I see you are using your Biju's chakra. How do you feel?"

"Pissed. I want to kill them all for trying to hurt you or anyone else!" The blood-lust in his voice did not escape Fuu's notice, either.

"Be careful, Whiskers!" Fuu said, referring to the prominent whisker-marks on his cheeks. "Demonic chakra can carry the will of the Biju! Don't let it overcome you!" Naruto snarled in response to the warning, charging straight through the crashing wave Hisame sent his way. Fuu opted to simply fly above it.

Hisame watched as the wave she sent collapsed in on itself. The blonde kid had barreled right through the wall of water and was now rushing towards her position. What kind of genin runs through a giant wall of water without so much as slowing down!

Naruto quickly closed the distance, startling Hisame. He was able to grab her wrist, causing her to shriek in agony. The chakra on the hand grabbing her slowly crept onto her skin, causing it to start to smolder and burn away.

It looked painful. The horrified expression on her face caused him to release his grip. Tears began to leak out of her eyes as she clutched her damaged arm, backing away from him fearfully. Her _eyes_ damned him. Hatred he could deal with. Fear? Fear was an entirely different story.

Whispering echoed in his head again, urging him to end the nearby threat. Naruto groaned, raising a clawed hand to his temple. The demonic chakra was still coursing through his body and he still felt the need to destroy the woman in front of him.

Hisame had a clear opening, but she didn't attack. She couldn't. If she provoked him, her life might have been forfeit. Money and power were great, but she valued her life more than that.

Fuu landed next to the blonde, giving Hisame a glare. The green-haired girl grabbed Naruto's wrists in an attempt to get his attention. Slitted eyes snapped onto glowing green and Fuu began to feel something tugging at her subconscious.

She had experienced this before, but how was Naruto triggering it?

Darkness slid over her vision. The sound of dripping rang in her ears.

**VvVvV**

(Unknown Location)

Naruto's eyes opened to a dimly lit area with pipes adorning the dark walls. There was shallow water and droplets raining down from parts of the shadowed ceiling. The place was like a wide hall, but what was ahead of him and behind him was pitch-black.

As Naruto walked forward, he realized that the lighting of the area traveled with him. There was no source; the light was just there. Naruto pondered this for a moment before splashes alerted him to a nearby presence.

"Wow, Whiskers. I didn't think you could drag me down here with you." Fuu stepped into view from behind the blonde, looking around with curious eyes. If it wasn't for his confusion, Naruto would've called the girl out on his new nickname.

"Where are we?" he asked. What had happened, anyway? One moment he was fighting that female jounin and the next he found himself in here. Come to think of it, this area reminded him of a sewer. More than reminded him, it actually did look like a sewer. Why the hell was he in a sewer?

"Your mind," Fuu stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm not sure why it's a sewer, but I'm surprised you were able to drag me in here. I thought that the mindscape wasn't supposed to work that way."

Naruto stopped walking forward, gaping at Fuu. They were in his mind? Why did his mind look like a freaking sewer? He didn't have dirty thoughts... most of the time, anyway. His Sexy no Jutsu didn't count. Nope, not at all.

"If I'm in my mind, how are you in here?"

"Were you not paying attention? I'm not sure how you did it either, Whiskers." Naruto just nodded dumbly and began to walk forward. There was some noise in the sewer that sounded like the wind, which puzzled Naruto. As he overtook Fuu, the girl began to get nervous. "You said you haven't drawn on your Biju's chakra before today, right?"

"Yeah. That felt... strange. I felt strong, but I..." Naruto gulped, realizing he had just brutally killed one of his enemies and probably would've killed the other one too.

"You killed your foe, didn't you? You haven't killed anyone before?"

"I might have caused some of those other shinobi to bleed out... but no, I haven't." Naruto felt weak for a moment. He killed someone and hadn't felt anything. He killed Kirisame without a second thought.

"Whiskers," Fuu said, catching the blonde's attention, "Every shinobi is expected to kill at one point in their lives. Just because you have killed someone does not make you a monster."

Naruto didn't miss the allusion to their previous conversation. Had he affected her in such a way already?

The blonde gave Fuu a small smile in thanks, which Fuu returned. She was still fairly shaky regarding social interactions, but she hoped that she had lifted his spirits a bit. It was strange. She felt compelled to help her fellow jinchuriki ever since he had reached out to her on his own.

"I know where this pathway will probably end up."

"Huh? Where?" How could Fuu know where the pathway would end up? It was his own mind, wasn't it?

"Which Biju do you have sealed within you?" Fuu asked, appearing more nervous than she had been before.

"Oh. I have the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox in my gut." She had told him what demon she had in her, so he could at least return the favor.

Fuu's face turned ashen. "The strongest one is sealed in you? It might not be so... forthcoming."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see. I can't really explain it."

Both jinchuriki kept walking. The windy noise began to grow in volume. It became more even, like breathing. Eventually, a large set of bars with a paper on it presented itself. It looked like a gate designed to hold back something large. Something massive.

Something like a Biju.

An audible growl filled the air and two large, crimson eyes appeared behind the bars. A malevolent smile showing off rows of sharp, dagger-like teeth caused Naruto to gulp.

Laughter echoed around him. "**The jailor**," a deep, distorted voice rang out, "**finally meets the imprisoned**."

A huge set of claws suddenly appeared through the spaces in-between the bars. It was so sudden that Naruto fell backward. Fuu was staring with wide eyes, frozen in place by the large form in front of her.

The claws were retreated and the fox snarled. "**I would love to shred your bodies and tear the flesh from your bones, but this damnable seal is in my way**."

"Hey! You stupid fox! You have no right to speak to me that way!" Fuu turned in shock as Naruto quickly stood up and shouted at the Kyuubi. His hands were clenched and his teeth bared. "You made my life a living hell, you stupid ball of fur!"

The Kyuubi snarled again. Part of the darkness pervading the cell faded away, revealing its massive head. It had orange fur, large ears, and it was _smiling_. "**Foolish boy! Do you think it was my wish to be restrained in this cage? Why don't you set me free? I'm sure I can cut you a deal...**"

Fuu's eyes flickered over to where Naruto was standing, glaring up at the fox. She was surprised he wasn't showing any fear. When she had met the Nanabi, she had been petrified, although it was probably because she met the thing when she was much younger.

"Like I'd fall for that, you bastard fox! Why am I here?" Naruto asked. He was genuinely confused as to how he had entered his apparent mindscape. He didn't think for one bit that the fox had done it in order to have a pleasant conversation.

The fox's disturbing smile reappeared on its maw. "**How should I know, boy? You are the one drawing on my chakra. It seems as if you are too weak to defend your comrades on your own**."

Naruto bristled. He was about to retort, but Fuu put a hand on his shoulder. "Whiskers, don't get angry! Remember what I said? Emotional states can cause you to draw on your Biju's chakra, but there's the other problem."

"What is it?" Naruto prompted.

"Like I said before, you draw on its will," she responded. "It makes you think and act differently. Keep that in mind."

"**Clever girl. I suppose a more conditioned jinchuriki would know about this**," the Kyuubi rumbled.

The blonde gave the fox a cautious look. "How are we in here? There's a battle going on and we're stuck here."

"**I do not answer to you, boy. You are already using my power, yet you demand an answer to your question? I believe you owe me something**." Owe it something? What could Naruto even give to the Biju?

_Freedom_.

That was not something he wanted to do. "You know, you live in here. You should be paying me rent for the thirteen years you've been cooped up in here! Besides, if you don't help me, I'm probably going to die, and if I die, I'm taking your sorry ass with me!"

Kyuubi snorted, the noise echoing throughout his cell. "**So be it. In order to preserve my life, I will grant you some of my power**." The fox grinned again, showing off its fearsome teeth.

Red tendrils of chakra enshrouded Naruto and he screamed in pain. His body began to fade from the area. Fuu's body also began to vanish from Naruto's mindscape. The fox's deep, haunting laughs followed her all the way out.

"_**You are too weak to protect your comrades, boy... much too weak..."**_

**VvVvV**

Hisame watched as the chakra surrounding Naruto flared once more. He and Taki's jinchuriki broke apart, appearing disoriented. They had sort of zoned out for a few seconds, but Hisame didn't want to take any chances.

Both of their eyes locked onto Hisame's. She began to backpedal, but the blonde was faster. He appeared in front of her and sent her flying with an empowered fist to her stomach. Even as she was sailing through the air, he followed up his attack with a kick to her chest that took her breath away.

She landed a ways onto shore. Testing her sides and chest, Hisame deduced that some part of her was broken and that she probably had internal bleeding. Her life was essentially over, so she succumbed to the pain and lay on her back, waiting for death or enemy to claim her.

Naruto and Fuu turned their attention to where Kakashi was fighting Murasame and Suien. He seemed to be having a difficult time given the visible chakra radiating from Suien's body and the various Suiton jutsu Murasame was throwing out.

Naruto could still see the red aura thinly surrounding his body. Oddly enough, he didn't feel completely enraged. He seemed to have his wits about him, which was good. It would let him help his sensei without the handicap of extreme bloodlust. "Fuu! Let's help Kakashi-sensei!"

His voice still came out as a guttural growl.

The chakra wings of the Taki jinchuriki were still in full effect, so she took off towards Murasame. Naruto decided to team up with his sensei against Suien. It would be smarter to do so since Suien still seemed to be using the additional power granted by the Hero Water.

With two new combatants entering the battle, Suien and Murasame jumped away to reevaluate the situation. "Who would have thought that Konoha had sent their jinchuriki here?" Suien sneered. "It doesn't matter. In the end, you will all die and I will succeed."

"Like hell you will!" Naruto yelled. Before Kakashi could stop him, the blonde vanished and a deep clang resonated through the air. Suien had been forced to generate a chakra shield in order to stop Naruto's vicious attack. Even then, the force behind it was enough to make Suien slide back.

Murasame was about to flip through seals, but Fuu kept him busy with her swooping dives. The missing-nin could not touch her for fear of extreme damage due to her drop speed.

Kakashi saw an opening. With Murasame evading Fuu and Suien trying to stop Naruto from breaking him, he could remove one of the offenders from the battle.

The fact that they were standing on water meant that he couldn't use any Raiton jutsu, but that wouldn't stop him. Kakashi channeled chakra to his legs and, with a kunai, appeared in front of Murasame, running him through.

Fuu stopped her dive and watched as the blood began to seep from Murasame's wound. Kakashi had landed a direct hit and cut through his chest and heart. Murasame's eyes dimmed as the life left them and he collapsed in the water.

There was only one jounin left. The odds were finally in their favor and the battle could be ended. With Fuu and Kakashi now free, Suien was at a disadvantage. Plus, much of the initial force the Hero Water provided was starting to fade.

Suien was going to die. It was that simple. He thought he had prepared for everything, but another jinchuriki appearing and Taki's own jinchuriki participating in the battle were not part of that. The man in question watched as Fuu and Kakashi took their positions around him. Along with the blonde, they had him surrounded in a triangle formation.

"I can't lose! This was supposed to be easy! I was supposed to gain my vengeance and the village! These people would have served me!" Suien screamed in a slightly hysterical manner. The visible sheath of chakra surrounding his body was slowly receding.

Naruto laughed darkly. "People like you... people like you will never win! People like me... people like Fuu... we'll always defy you! I promise you that!"

Naruto cocked his clawed hand back and rammed it forward, enshrouding it with the unrelenting force of wind chakra. Suien's diminishing chakra shield never stood a chance. It shattered under the blow and his neck was slit as Naruto's claws continued forward.

Suien laughed weakly before he slowly fell backward. He hit the water with a soft splash. Finally, the perpetrators had been removed. Most of the enemies plaguing the village were either dead or detained for questioning, and the masterminds were gone.

It was over.

Naruto's vision began to swim. The tainted power that had been flowing through his veins abruptly vanished. His legs, missing the previous power, buckled under him, and Naruto fell face-first into the water.

**VvVvV**

(Takigakure Hospital)

A boy with blonde, unruly hair was dressed in scrubs and lying on a soft bed. He groaned as he regained consciousness, squeezing his eyes tight in order to avoid being blinded by bright light. Obviously, he was in a hospital.

Naruto tried to remember what had happened. He had killed Suien- no, think about that later. After he had removed the threat, the demonic chakra in his system receded. Apparently he had been running on it by the time the battle was over, which was why he collapsed afterward.

"Look! He's awake!" Naruto winced at the volume. It was loud, overly excited. Fuu was worried. Why wouldn't she be? Naruto knew he would be worried if Iruka or Kakashi were in the hospital.

Naruto groaned and turned his head to where he thought Fuu would be. He cracked his eyes open, seeing the room he was in for the first time.

It was a painted a sterile white with bright lights on the ceiling. He had a thin, white blanket on his bed and was dressed in a blue hospital gown. He groaned again as he sat up, testing the extremities of his body. He didn't feel too bad, but his body was weak. Tired.

The nearby door suddenly opened. Kakashi walked in, orange book dutifully in his hand, and gave his shortest student an eye-smile. "Oh? Looks like you're awake, Naruto."

"Heh, yeah, Kakashi-sensei... is everyone all right?" Naruto asked. He was far more worried about his teammates than his own health.

"They're fine. Sakura had a mild concussion and Sasuke had some abrasions, but that's it. I think you all got lucky. But," Kakashi said, giving Naruto a stern look, "I'll tell you the same thing I told them. What you did was stupid, foolhardy, and in general, extremely life-threatening. Naruto, I am an S-rank ninja. I can handle myself.

"You, on the other hand, are a genin, despite being a jinchuriki. A genin going up against several jounin is not expected to survive, much less score any lasting damage. The leaking of the Kyuubi's chakra helped you immensely in this way. Regardless, I expect more rational, intelligent decisions from you in the future."

Naruto was crestfallen and ducked his head. "You're right, Kakashi-sensei. I just didn't want you to die or anything. One of the jounin that I killed just made me so angry..."

Kakashi sighed. The blonde had killed two jounin today. He could talk to him about it since all jounin-sensei were there for their students, but Fuu would totally kill the atmosphere.

"Hey, Whiskers. Remember what I said before?"

Naruto raised his head and his eyes locked onto Fuu's. She gave him another smile. "Yeah. We're not monsters. It was for everyone else in the village and for our comrades. At least we stopped them," Naruto replied.

Kakashi was amused. So, a fellow jinchuriki helped him move past his first kills? Interesting. If what he thought was correct, Naruto had found and spoke with Fuu beforehand. "You should realize, Naruto, that these were all wanted missing-nin. Their bodies were sealed within scrolls and turned in for bounties. In addition, one was captured for questioning. I think you've made quite a bit of money," Kakashi said.

The blonde grinned. "Hell yeah! I'll be able to pay my rent and get ramen for months!" Then he paused for a moment, frowning. "Hey Fuu, Kakashi-sensei, do you want some of the bounty? I think I'll give some to Sasuke-teme and Sakura, too. We all did technically take the missing-nin down."

Kakashi rolled his eye. "Only you would want to share hard-earned money, Naruto. Yes, we can divide it up."

"I don't really need the money. People don't really let me into their shops in the first place..." Fuu explained.

"You kind of did free all of those hostages, not to mention saved quite a few of then, too. People will look at you differently! Keep trying like me!" Naruto pumped his fist out. Kakashi chuckled at his antics before heading out. He said that Team Seven would be leaving tomorrow morning and that he wanted them to rest a bit more before they began the trek back to Konoha.

"It is hard though, isn't it? People's opinions won't just change overnight..."

"Like I said, you have to keep trying. The older civilians probably won't change their opinions, but you should start with your own generation. That's what someone told me and that's what I'm going to do," Naruto stated with complete conviction.

Fuu smiled softly. "Well, if you're going to try, then I guess I should try too. It's going to be hard though, isn't it? How did you turn out the way you did? It would have been so easy to give in to the hatred of the people around you."

Naruto frowned thoughtfully. "Yeah, it would have been easy. But we're ninja. Our lives aren't easy. When you give in to your hatred and let yourself be lonely, are you happy? Are you satisfied?"

Naruto shook his head. "I wasn't. That's a terrible way to live. No one wants to live that way. No one should live the lives we've been forced to live."

Fuu cocked her head at him. "It is, isn't it?" Then she pumped her fist in the air, imitating Naruto. "I'll do what you do, Whiskers. I'll change the opinions of the people in my village!"

She and Naruto shared a look of determination when there was a knocking at the door. Fuu tensed, but Naruto yelled out a short, "come in".

Sasuke and Sakura, dressed in their normal attire, walked in. Both had patched up abrasions and bandages on their arms and legs, but they looked fine from Naruto's perspective. Sasuke smirked at his downed teammate. "I see you're still in bed. I guess the dead-last never changes, eh?"

Naruto groaned out loud. "That was one time! I was tired! I had no chakra! You try spamming Shadow Clones all day long..." He kept muttering to himself as Sasuke shook his head in good humor.

"Still, it's impressive you survived against two jounin," Sakura added. And she truly was impressed. Where was the dead-last now? Naruto's progress had outstripped hers many times over. He had gone from zero to hero. Literally, too.

Fuu remained quiet. She knew that these two were Naruto's teammates, but they didn't know anything about her and Naruto. Not about their inner demons, at least.

But, as luck would have it, Sakura directed her attention to the green-haired jinchuriki. "I'm sorry, we were being rude. My name is Haruno Sakura. Who are you?"

A glance at Naruto told Fuu it was okay to respond. "My name is Fuu. No surname or clan name."

Recognition gleamed in Sasuke's eyes. "Nice to meet you," he said. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I'm in charge of making sure Naruto doesn't kill himself on a daily basis."

"Oh, come on! We beat each other up every time we spar!" Fuu giggled at Naruto's reaction. The first actual giggle he had heard from her.

A giggle can be construed as an everyday occurrence. It is something both ninja and civilian take for granted. For people like Naruto and Fuu, who have such little amounts of happiness in their lives, it is an enigma.

Naruto's laughs and giggles are common. They punctuate his moments of loneliness and despair and are used as a mask. His true laughs happen in the company of close individuals, such as those who are the same as he is, or those who have stuck with him for most of his life. Umino Iruka and Sarutobi Hiruzen are examples of this.

On the other hand, Fuu's laughs and giggles are rare. She has been shunned most of her life and had no one to pull her out of her misery. Until Naruto appeared, it would not be wrong to say that she didn't know how to laugh at all.

But laughs and giggles are instinctive. When people are born, they already know how to laugh. Sometimes it just takes the right person to bring it out.

That was why Naruto gave a true smile in the presence of his team and of Fuu. It was why he responded to her chime-like laugh with his own, infectious smile.

**VvVvV**

(Team Seven's Hotel)

Darkness had come relatively quickly. Naruto had woken up late in the day and despite his energy, he had tired sooner rather than later. Devouring his dinner and more helped speed the process up.

Team Seven, along with Fuu, had taken food from a nearby restaurant and dined together. Fuu was brought food by the team of genin so she wouldn't have to make contact with anyone who still bore her ill-will.

They had eaten, chatted, and then headed up to where they were going to sleep.

Now, Team Seven and their sensei were back at their hotel. Naruto was getting ready to sleep when Sasuke spoke. "All right, you're going to come clean."

"Huh? What's up?" Naruto asked.

"I unlocked my Sharingan, remember?" Sasuke said. "I can see chakra with it when it's activated. It's nowhere near as strong as my brother's, but I can still see chakra."

"So...?" Naruto pressed. What was Sasuke going on about?

"Tell me about that strange chakra you and Fuu had. People don't have red or green chakra. Our chakra is blue and it's fairly obvious to see, too."

Silence.

Naruto stared at Sasuke, wondering if he should tell him. In all honesty, he hadn't once thought he would be found out. Nor had he thought someone would ask about his secret. "Do you really want to know?" Naruto whispered.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Naruto sounded... defeated. Afraid. Afraid of what? Sasuke folded his arms over his chest. "Yes."

The blonde closed his eyes and sighed. He wasn't going to escape this. Sasuke could be assertive when he wanted and Naruto didn't want a secret to break up their growing camaraderie. If anything, he hoped to call Sasuke a friend.

Maybe it was time to test that hope.

"What do you think it was?" he asked.

Sasuke frowned. "A bloodline, maybe. I don't know. What kind of bloodline makes you want to _die_?"

Naruto's head jerked up. So that's what it felt like to other people. To him, he felt angrier and like he wanted to spill more blood. Lust for battle from the Kyuubi's will, essentially. To other people, it was disgusting. Tainted. Destructive.

"What do you know of the attack that happened thirteen years ago on Konoha?"

"The Nine-Tailed Beast, the Kyuubi, attacked Konoha. Massive losses were sustained before the Yondaime destroyed it with some forbidden jutsu."

Naruto took a deep breath. "The Kyuubi is what's known as a Biju. Large beasts made out of pure chakra. There are nine of them, each having a certain amount of tails. For example, the Kyuubi has Nine-Tails, while the first Biju, whatever it may be, has one, single tail."

"Where are you going with this?" Sasuke inquired.

"The Biju are made up of pure chakra. They can't die. In order to remove the threat, the Yondaime had to seal it away."

Sasuke straightened his body. "Namely, you. He sealed it within you, right?"

Naruto solemnly nodded. "Yes. He sealed it within a newborn baby that just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"So that's why everyone glares at you back in Konoha. Don't give me that surprised look. I'm not a Hyuuga, but the Uchiha are trained to be perceptive. It kind of comes with the heritage, you know?"

Naruto chuckled, giving Sasuke a wry smile. "I'm surprised you didn't mention it before."

"You seemed to shrug it off. Honestly, it felt like a puzzle more than anything else. Fuu is a jinchuriki too, right?" A nod. "Yeah, that's why you asked about her. You sympathized with her. 'Birds of a certain feather flock together', am I right?"

"Yeah, yeah. You're not afraid of me, are you?" Naruto was staring intently at Sasuke, trying to determine whether or not Sasuke had any hint of fear in him.

So that was what he was afraid of. Isolation, loneliness. Naruto was an orphan who had been alone most of his life. It would only be logical that he would be most afraid of abandonment.

"Definitely not. You're still the dead-last to me," Sasuke said with a smirk. "But I do want to know something. Why do the people our age not seem to know? Only the adults seem to know."

"Sandaime's law. Telling anyone about the Kyuubi who doesn't know is punishable by death. Since I didn't know, no one could say anything. I found out when our old sensei, Mizuki, went crazy and tried to kill me."

"Exam day, right?" Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded. "Yep."

Sasuke grunted. "I don't know, that seems really stupid. It feels like the Hokage screwed your life up by not telling you. Seems like an exercise in psychological torture."

Naruto shrugged. "Eh, he supported me, visited me, and made my life bearable. He just wanted me to fit in."

"Too bad the adults told their children to back away, right?"

"Yep. I couldn't really make friends like that."

Sasuke grinned widely. "Don't worry about it, dead-last. You've got a friend in me, after all."

Naruto clicked his jaw shut, shocked into silence. Then he smiled gratefully before lying down and closing his eyes. Sasuke did the same and almost missed the whispered, "Thanks, teme."

**VvVvV**

(Directly Outside of Takigakure's Waterfall)

Fuu, Shibuki, and some nameless Taki-nin helped escort Team Seven out of Takigakure. Their help was much appreciated and Shibuki had promised to repay them once the missions had been tided over and the money gathered.

For the most part, it was a simple affair. Shibuki and Kakashi exchanged good-byes and Kakashi was given a scroll to hand back to the Hokage. Most of the Taki-nin stayed back as their only objective was to see the friendly Team out.

For Fuu, she was saddened. It wasn't that angry sadness that pervaded most of her life, but a melancholy sadness. Something that was experienced when a good friend had to move away, or leave for some time. It wasn't something she was familiar with.

Naruto grinned at Fuu's saddened expression. "Don't be sad, Fuu. We'll see each other again. Count on it."

"I hope so. You are attending the chunin exams, aren't you? The ones that are coming up in Kirigakure no Sato?" Fuu was hopeful. Her first friend and he was leaving already. She didn't really like the feeling that was welling up in her, but she did hope to see him again.

"Definitely. Kakashi-sensei will want to see how much we've grown. I'll totally attend."

"Hey, Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, cupping a hand to his mask. "We're leaving! Hurry up!"

Fuu looked down. It was time for him to leave. She wouldn't see him for some time. A warm hand touched her chin and raised it. Fuu's orange eyes met Naruto's shining blue. "Hey, don't cry and don't worry. Keep trying to help your village. Remember what we're going to do? We'll change the way people treat us! They'll see us for the people we are!"

Fuu sniffed. Crying? She hadn't cried in so long. She thought she had forgotten how to. Now, rather than crying from despicable, crushing loneliness, she found herself crying over her first friend. Her first friend that was leaving her. Not because he wanted to, but because he had to.

Then she felt arms wrap around her. There was a brief squeeze and then the warmth left. Naruto bounded after his teammates, turning around after a few moments and waving good-bye. He had a kindly smile on his face directed straight at the shocked Fuu.

The green-haired kunoichi blinked and then smiled once more. She felt... good. Content. Satisfied.

"We'll meet up again, Whiskers," Fuu whispered to herself. "When we do, I'll have more people who accept me, like you do. It's a promise.

"Count on it."

* * *

><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: Anyway, please tell me if there are any contradictions or discrepancies. I went over this three times (mostly for errors), so I'm fairly sure the amount of mistakes is low.**

**I feel the need to clear this up since it's been brought up every now and then.**

**_A Different Result_ will have no overarching villain that unifies the Five Great Villages. That is all I'm really going to say. Take what you will from that phrase.**


	12. Nominations

**A/N: This is sort of an intermediary chapter. Chunin exam arc coming up!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

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><p>Chapter Twelve: Nominations<p>

Kakashi sat in the chair in front of the Hokage's desk. He was in the Hokage Tower, waiting for the Sandaime to address him. When he and his genin had returned to the village, he had sent all three of them to their homes to sleep peacefully for once. The whole debacle that was Waterfall as well as the trip back to Konoha obviously warranted some peace and quiet.

Oh, how Kakashi wished he could have peace and quiet. But, he was a jounin, and jounin could cope.

Of course, that meant that he had to give the news regarding the mission to the Sandaime. Although successful, a jinchuriki meeting another jinchuriki was _not_ common at all. A freaking small invasion of all things was not common either, especially when a team of rather green genin were forced into protecting a village that was not their own.

The news wasn't all shaky and bleak. Well, it wasn't really bleak at all. Team Seven had miraculously escaped debilitating injury and had also played a major role in helping Takigakure. The Hero Water and its components had also been secured, which ultimately resulted in the mission being successful. Relations between Konoha and Taki were sure to improve as well.

That did not mean Kakashi wasn't concerned. Yes, Team Seven had performed admirably. Yes, the mission was a success. Yes, he and his genin had both terrible and amazing luck. The fact remained that both Naruto and Sasuke had taken their first lives, something that usually had psychological ramifications.

Although he was concerned, Kakashi knew Sasuke would be fine. With his family, the impact would be lessened and he would get over it. His kill was, of course, in self-defense. So was Naruto's, but Naruto's first kill had special... conditions attached to it.

Naruto wasn't quite so unstable, much to Kakashi's surprise. Rather than focusing on his kills, the blonde had been cheery on the way back. He and Sasuke hadn't quite butted heads so often, but were instead amicable towards each other. Kakashi had a distinct hunch why they were like that, especially with Sasuke's Sharingan awakening.

If only Naruto wasn't so straightforward. Maybe Kakashi had beaten the whole 'comrades' thing too deep into his head. Sure, he was happy the blonde had taken the lesson to heart, but letting yourself be nearly killed by a sadistic, high-caliber ninja was where Kakashi drew the line.

Finally, after an agonizing ten-minute wait, the grizzled Hokage moved away from the window, ending his thoughts, and sat down onto his chair. The fancy hat was sitting on the chair, absent from the old man's head. Hiruzen cleared his throat, giving Kakashi a hard look. "I hear the mission was successful, Kakashi."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi handed over a sealed scroll and a storage scroll that contained the secured items.

The Hokage took them and snapped his fingers. The Hokage gave the ANBU that appeared the storage scroll and instructed the ANBU to take it to the Akimichi and Inuzuka workshops for examination and study. Then he broke the seal and opened the message scroll, quickly scanning its contents. A satisfied look briefly crossed his visage, but it quickly passed. "Now then," the Hokage began, "What the hell happened in Taki?"

Kakashi winced at the steel in the Hokage's tone, but cleared his throat and started to explain what had happened on what was supposed to be an ordinary delivery mission.

**VvVvV**

(Uchiha Clan Residence)

Uchiha Sasuke opened the door to his house and trudged through. He promptly collapsed face-first on the nearest couch, uncaring about who was where. "Foolish little brother," a voice chided, "You shouldn't overexert yourself."

Sasuke could practically hear the smirk in his brother's voice. It was something he was used to, but he was tired at the moment. Running back to Konoha after helping stop an invasion will do that to you.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun returned? That mission took longer than expected," Sasuke's mother commented.

At hearing his mother's voice, Sasuke forced himself to roll over so that his face could be seen. "The only thing I want to do is get a good night's sleep..." Sasuke muttered. He saw his mother raise her eyebrow and his brother chuckle softly. It was late in the afternoon, but nowhere near evening.

"Did you run all the way here from Takigakure?" Mikoto asked. "It's not wise to expend your energy like that. I don't think you were in any rush, were you?"

"He did miss the chunin exam nominations," Itachi said. "I believe Hokage-sama will allow Kakashi-san to nominate his team if he wishes to."

Sasuke groaned. "My team has the worst and best luck in the entire world. I swear we do."

Mikoto folded her arms across her chest. "Oh? Care to explain why? Standard delivery missions don't usually take several weeks to complete."

"Yeah, we made it to Takigakure which is so well-hidden we got lost until one of their patrol teams found us." Sasuke ignored his brother's low snort. "We made it there, did our mission, and then some missing-nin with a minor invasion force came for our objective."

"_What_?" His mother all but screamed. "They sent genin out on a mission with that many missing-nin?"

"There were only about twenty-five of them and most of the chunin in the village helped. We were able to stop the jounin with help from Taki's jinchuriki." Sasuke then shot to an upright position and slapped a hand to his mouth. He chuckled sheepishly as he slowly removed his hand from his face. "Oops."

Mikoto was on guard, as was Itachi. "You met Taki's jinchuriki?" she said, warning evident in her voice.

"Well, Naruto met her first. Which kind of makes sense, considering... No, never mind. I never said anything." Sasuke quailed under the harsh gazes of his mother and brother. Damn, he was much too tired to be watching himself. What he would give to have Naruto's stamina.

"Did Naruto tell you?" Itachi asked quietly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and nodded, leaning back on the soft couch.

"I see," Itachi said. "Is that why he was able to meet the jinchuriki first?"

"I think it's more like he saw himself in her," Sasuke muttered quietly. "In any case, Naruto and Taki's jinchuriki helped remove the jounin from the battlefield. I think Naruto's still shaken up at killing two of them."

"Naruto killed two enemy jounin? How?" Itachi should have known how. If Sasuke found out, then it would have been obvious what had happened.

Sasuke sighed to himself. "He used the Kyuubi's chakra. I think one of the jounin pissed him off or something. He and the girl were both cloaked in weird chakra and they used it to defeat the enemy shinobi."

Mikoto frowned. There was something missing here. "Were you watching them when they used the chakra?"

"No, I was a ways away from the battlefield. Sakura got knocked out and Taki's leader was hurt, so I stayed back to help them out." Sasuke paused. "Oh, right. Check this out." Sasuke closed his eyes and then opened them, showing his awakened Sharingan to his brother and mother.

Itachi nodded, happy that his younger brother had awakened his Sharingan. "That's how you were able to see the chakra from such a distance. Are you all right?"

Sasuke scoffed. "I'm not one of those idiots who glare at Naruto. I was always wondering about that, but Naruto seemed to ignore it all." Sasuke shook his head. "I guess I have my answer now."

Mikoto smiled softly. "That's good to know, Sasuke-kun. Naruto needs more than friends. He needs acceptance."

Sasuke snorted. "I honestly don't think he'll have trouble with that. He befriended Taki's jinchuriki with little to no trouble from what I saw. She seemed to be relaxed around him, too. Although, she was kind of tense when Sakura and I introduced ourselves."

"That is to be expected," Itachi remarked. "Jinchuriki are oftentimes despised and hated for things beyond their control. They become isolated, wary of everyone around them. Sometimes they will hate everything and everyone around them. Naruto is very strong-willed to not become like that."

"I think Taki's jinchuriki hated everyone around her," Sasuke said. "Naruto told me a bit about her life. He said he helped her out and hoped that she would find people who accepted her."

Mikoto laughed softly and walked out of the room, causing Sasuke to give her an odd glance. _Just like Minato and Kushina,_ she thought.

Itachi returned his attention to his little brother. "Given a mission of that magnitude, did anything else of interest happen?"

"The mission was successful, Itachi. Don't worry about that," Sasuke replied in a smug tone. "But... that's not what you're asking is it?" Itachi shook his head. "I got my first kill on the mission as well..." Sasuke finished quietly.

"Are you all right?" Itachi asked again.

"I think so. Kakashi-sensei watched it happen and there were more serious matters going on at the time." Sasuke sighed quietly, seeming a bit more subdued than before. He looked straight at his brother's onyx eyes. "Is it okay to kill people like that, Itachi?"

Itachi gazed right back at his little brother. His first kill had to happen eventually, but Itachi was hoping for it to happen sometime later. First kills were oftentimes damaging and could determine whether or not someone would continue onward in their ninja profession.

Itachi moved away from the wall he was leaning on and sat down next to his brother. "Killing does not make you any less, nor does it make you any more. It is simply what must occasionally happen. You and I are ninja that come from a family of ninja. Reconnaissance, infiltration, killing... those are our jobs."

Sasuke nodded, contemplating what his brother had said. "So as ninja, we're going to end up killing people?"

"It is nearly guaranteed. But, remember your loved ones. It is my belief that that helps you get through the pain of taking someone's life." A small smile, then. "Just don't lose yourself in the act. Many shinobi have lost themselves to murder and death. Remember your loved ones, Sasuke."

Sasuke sighed heavily. "Thanks, nii-san." Sasuke got up from the chair and headed towards his room.

Itachi remained sitting on the chair. Naruto had also taken his first life. That would have been cause for concern, but Itachi wondered if it was dulled by Sasuke's acceptance and finding another person who was just like him.

First kills were always tricky matters to get involved in, especially for young genin.

**VvVvV**

Naruto groaned as sunlight hit him in the face. He wanted to sleep in a bit longer, but it seemed like it was daybreak already. What did he want to do today, anyway?

Aside from easy D-rank missions. Yeah, easy missions would be a nice break from the ridiculous combat he had gone through.

"Still a bit tired, aren't you Naruto-kun?" a grandfatherly voice chortled out. Naruto groaned even louder and forced himself up. He swiveled his body so that his legs dangled off of his bed and gave his foster grandfather a tired look. The man was sitting in a nearby chair, pipe absent, and large hat securely fastened to his head.

"Hey, old man. How did you... wait, don't answer that question. It'll make me feel dumb." The Hokage chuckled at Naruto's scrunched up expression. "Seriously though, what's up Hokage-jiji?"

"Well Naruto-kun, I'd just like to ask you how your mission went. Kakashi explained the details and its difficulty surprised me," the Hokage said. His hands were clasped on his lap and his eyes were sharp.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "How much did he tell you? I'm not going to get yelled at again, am I? Kakashi-sensei kind of already did that."

"No, but I wish you practiced more caution in the field, Naruto-kun. It wouldn't do to get killed before you become Hokage, now would it?" the Hokage chided, eyes twinkling in amusement.

Naruto huffed. "Yeah, yeah. I got it, Hokage-jiji." He continued grumbling under his breath before looking back at the Hokage. "So, did you just want to ask how the mission went? Kakashi-sensei told you already, didn't he?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Yes, but I wanted to ask you myself. Kakashi told me you killed someone. Are you all right?"

Naruto grinned. "I'm fine, old man. It wasn't that bad after I told Sasuke about the fox."

"Ah, so you did tell him?" Hiruzen asked. Obviously, Sasuke had accepted Naruto as the container and not what was within.

"Yep! It..." Naruto trailed off, his smile widening. "It feels really nice to have someone who knows that I hold the Kyuubi and doesn't hate me because of it. It feels like when Iruka-sensei took me out to ramen after he gave me his forehead protector."

"I'd believe so, Naruto-kun. Sasuke is the first out of many, I'd suppose." Naruto nodded ecstatically. "I can see that you are fine. Though, did you feel... _different_ when you used the Kyuubi's chakra?"

Naruto frowned, looking up at his apartment's ceiling. He knew exactly how he felt when he had used the Kyuubi's chakra. It was empowering, yet terrifying at the same time. At first he didn't notice the difference in power, but after speaking with the giant Biju, he had realized how much power and speed the chakra had granted him.

"At first, I felt angry. I wanted to hurt the guy who wanted to hurt my friends."

"At first, Naruto?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah. After I... killed the first guy, Fuu stopped me from killing the second. I don't know what happened, but we were both dragged into what Fuu called my 'mindscape'," Naruto replied.

At this point, the Hokage wanted a pipe to puff on. It helped him think clearly more often. He liked the tobacco, too. "Your mindscape? You and Taki's jinchuriki entered your mind?"

"That's what she said, old man," Naruto answered. "Fuu didn't really know how I did it though."

The Hokage hummed in thought for a moment. "What was your mind like, Naruto?"

"Do I have to tell you?" The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "I get it, old man. My mind looked like a sewer. A dirty old sewer."

Naruto glared when the Hokage began laughing out loud. After a few moments, the old man wiped an imaginary tear from his eye and gave the blonde jinchuriki a mirthful smile. "I suppose you are at that age, Naruto-kun."

"I am not a pervert like you, old man! Definitely not!" Naruto yelled indignantly, crossing his arms and sticking his lower lip out childishly.

"I know, Naruto-kun," the Hokage said, still laughing slightly. He cleared his throat and continued, "What did you find in your mindscape?"

"Kyuubi," Naruto simply said.

"And what did it want?" Hiruzen asked cautiously. He hoped Naruto had been careful with his encounter with the great demon. The Kyuubi might have sought to manipulate Naruto and possibly attempt to gain its freedom. Such a thing would doom Naruto, harm Konoha, and probably destroy everything within a certain distance.

The blonde bared his teeth. "Damn fox thinks I'm an idiotic brat. I'll show it that I'm not weak and that I _can_ protect my friends..."

Hiruzen exhaled in relief. Of course Naruto's reaction would be to prove the fox wrong. "Naruto-kun, I advise you to remain cautious around the Kyuubi. It will surely attempt to sway you to its side in an attempt to achieve freedom."

Naruto nodded and then smirked. "The furball is stuck with me, whether it likes it or not."

The Hokage rose from his seat. "I should get to work, Naruto. Konoha certainly won't wait for its Hokage, or for its future Hokage. I left you something in your kitchen. Eat well, and don't forget to meet up with your sensei today. I believe he has some news for you." With that, the Hokage bid Naruto farewell and left, closing the apartment door behind him.

Naruto blinked. Hadn't Kakashi told them to rest or something?

**VvVvV**

Naruto met his teammates at the bridge where Team Seven usually gathered to wait for their tardy sensei. He gave them both a small wave. All three genin had learned to wait at least an extra half hour before even attempting to head towards their team meeting place, for Kakashi was always late by some-usually ridiculous- amount of time.

"Did you guys get the note as well?" Sakura asked. Her mother had woken her up early and given her a somewhat anonymous note telling her to go to the Team Seven's bridge. She would have been suspicious, but there was a small drawing of her eye-smiling sensei on it. It had no name, just that drawing.

"My brother mentioned it," Sasuke replied. Then he turned his head to Naruto, "What about you, dead-last?"

"The old man told me," Naruto answered with a shrug. Sasuke snorted while Sakura gave him an odd look. She, unlike Sasuke, did not really know who Naruto was referring to when he said "old man". The words were pretty ambiguous considering Naruto's lack of respect towards elder people.

Not to mention authority in general.

After another fifteen minutes of silent waiting, Kakashi appeared in a puff of white smoke. "Ah, I see you all received your notices. It's nice to see a punctual team of genin," he said cheerfully. He was rewarded with three shocked stares. Kakashi frowned underneath his mask. "Did I say something wrong?"

"We were only waiting for fifteen minutes this time..." Naruto murmured. "Usually it takes you around an hour to get here!"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and gave them an eye-smile. "Not every ninja will do the same thing over and over again, you know." His reopened his single visible eye and straightened from his lazy slouch. "All right, you three. The chunin exams are coming up fairly soon."

"Chunin exams?" Sakura asked. "It's where genin go to try and become chunin, right?"

"Correct, Sakura." Kakashi cleared his throat. "The chunin exams are a series of rigorous tests and trials that genin undergo in the hopes of becoming promoted to chunin."

Naruto raised his hand. "What kinds of tests will there be, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Every time the exams roll around, the tests change. It's to ensure there is no foul play and to help keep the chunin-hopefuls on their toes. Although you three are rookies, I do believe you are ready to enter in the upcoming exams. Don't worry though," Kakashi reassured, "The exams occur every six months in one of the five great shinobi villages. If you don't get promoted this time, then you have a chance to get promoted in the next set of exams. This first time is really just for experience."

"Where are the exams this year, Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked. From what Naruto told him, he already had an idea.

"Kirigakure no Sato," Kakashi replied. "It's a neutral village, but the Mizukage and Hokage are on good terms. In addition, this is the first time in many years that Kirigakure has hosted a set of exams. However, don't do anything aggressive or provocative. Kiri is still a neutral village and should be treated as such.

"Kumogakure no Sato is also sending a set of teams to the exams as well," Kakashi added, appearing grim. "Kumo is not a friendly village by any means and I urge all three of you to be extra cautious around Kumo-nin. But, like I said before, I believe all three of you are ready for the exams."

"When are we setting out to Kirigakure?" Naruto asked, already feeling excited. He could see Nagato again, that person from the Uzumaki Clan that Nagato had mentioned, and he could see Fuu as well. Plus, he wanted to show everyone just how much he had improved over the past few months. Maybe he would even be promoted to chunin. One more step up the ladder would be helpful.

"Five days," Kakashi said. Then he paused for a moment, letting his eye trail on each genin. "Do any one of you not want to take the upcoming exams? There is no shame in feeling that you are not ready."

He waited for ten seconds. Thirty. A full minute. He gave his students an eye-smile. "In five days, meet in front of the main gate with packed essentials. The trip to Kiri takes some time, especially since we'll be traveling by sea. Until we set out, all team training sessions are canceled. You three can do whatever you want with your time, but I suggest preparing for the exams. I'll see you three in five days."

Kakashi vanished in a plume of smoke.

Naruto turned to his teammates, grinning toothily. "We're totally going to show everyone how amazing we are. Right, guys?"

"I'll be showing everyone how amazing I am. You're too much of an idiot to do anything, really," Sasuke said, smirking at Naruto.

"Hey, I saved your asses at Taki!" Naruto shot back.

"That doesn't count, you had Kakashi-sensei helping you."

Sakura watched her teammates bicker. "What are you two going to do? Kakashi-sensei said to prepare for the exams."

"I'm going to pay Tenten a visit. I haven't seen her in a while," Naruto said. Then he frowned. "I think I might need to get my gauntlets checked out, too."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Tenten? Who is she?"

"She and her father sell me high-quality weapons. They have really good prices, too." Sasuke nodded in realization. "If you guys want, you can meet her. I've never met her team, though."

Sasuke shrugged. "Why not? My dad and Itachi are pretty busy right now, anyway. What about you, Sakura?"

Sakura looked at each of her male teammates in succession before sighing nervously. "I need to catch up to you guys, so I'm going to do some training on my own."

The males nodded and then headed off, with Sasuke following Naruto. Sakura looked down for a moment before clenching her fists.

She needed to get stronger, especially since she was just the child of an ordinary civilian couple. She would show everyone that she was strong enough to keep up.

**VvVvV**

Tenten was bored. Her sensei had suspended team training sessions since they were all leaving to the chunin exams in a few days. Her father had decided to take full advantage of her little vacation and made her run the register.

The door to her family's weapon shop opened and she monotonously said, "Welcome to-"

"Hey, Tenten!" An enthusiastic voice chirped. Tenten raised her head from her fist. She saw Naruto and a dark-haired boy with onyx eyes approach the desk. Naruto was smiling like usual, but the dark-haired boy was looking around the shop in apparent interest.

"Thank god! I'm saved!" Tenten exaggerated. Naruto gave her a quizzical look. Tenten chuckled sheepishly. "I just needed something to do. My dad kind of put me on this job since my team isn't meeting. We're going to the chunin exams," she explained.

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Hell yeah! So is my team!"

Tenten smirked. "Seems like an easy win to me," she taunted.

Then Sasuke came strolling forward, fingering a brace of shuriken. "These are pretty high quality. How much for a set?"

"Wait a moment," Naruto interrupted, "I came here to get my gauntlets examined!"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Let me get my dad. He can examine those things better than I can. I can ring those shuriken up if you want to buy them..." she trailed off, gesturing at Sasuke.

"Just call me Sasuke," he answered. Tenten nodded and then walked to the nearby door, opening it and dragging her dad back into the shop.

"So this is why my daughter dragged me back in here. I see two brats in the store," he said, crossing his arms and leaning on one leg. "What do you two need?"

"Actually dad, Naruto just needs something. Sasuke's ringing some shuriken up. By the way, you're an Uchiha, aren't you?"

"What tipped that off?" Sasuke muttered sarcastically. The red and white fan on the back of his dark blue shirt kind of revealed that to everyone around him.

Tenten glared at him, muttering obscenities under her breath. Sasuke stifled a chuckle at some of the more... colorful choices she used. Much to his amusement, her father didn't seem to care much at all.

Iwao examined the gauntlets Naruto had given them. "So Naruto, you think you damaged these?" A nod. "They seem fine to me. Why would you think these were damaged? This type of metal is specifically designed to flow chakra through it and as such, is pretty damn sturdy."

The blonde jinchuriki fidgeted with his fingers for a moment. "Well... I kind of..." Naruto looked back to see Tenten engaged in a conversation with Sasuke, who seemed to be poking fun at her. "I kind of used my tenants chakra on my last mission..."

Iwao nodded at certain points in Naruto's quick explanation of the demonic chakra he had used. The gauntlets did have a special type of metal in them used for chakra flow, which was probably why there was a buildup of demonic chakra around the claws.

Although, Iwao did feel a bit proud of the boy for confessing that. He seemed much less worried about what he held back, if his mannerisms were anything to go by. "All right brat," Iwao began in a hushed tone, "Who did you tell?"

"The teme over there," Naruto responded, pointing a finger at Sasuke. He and Tenten were still speaking, blissfully unaware of the conversation going on between Naruto and Iwao.

Iwao grunted. "Good for you. It takes a lot of guts to do something like that. Anyway, your gauntlets are fine. It's nice to see a genin making sure their equipment isn't too damaged. I've seen chunin with crappier repairing habits than you."

Naruto wasn't sure if that was an insult or a compliment, so he merely nodded and walked back to where Sasuke and Tenten were talking. "Oi, teme. You going to stay here or what?"

Sasuke glared at Naruto. "Shut up. Tenten thinks she can beat me in a hand-to-hand spar."

Naruto gazed at Tenten for a moment before whistling lowly. "You going to take that as a challenge or something, Tenten? Sasuke does have hi- mmrph!" Naruto was interrupted by Sasuke slamming a hand on his mouth, preventing him from finishing his sentence.

"You should learn to keep secrets, Naruto," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head. "We're supposed to be ninja, anyway."

Tenten guffawed at Naruto's expression. "It's nice to see someone put a leash on little Naruto-chan here. But I'm bored, so let's get out of here. My team's probably training on their own already, so I might as well take you two for a spin. I'll see you, dad. Your turn to run this place."

"Don't stay out too late," Iwao absentmindedly remarked as he took Tenten's place at the register. He watched his daughter drag the two boys out to some training field before grunting and manning his place at the store.

Namely, leaning his head on his fist and waiting for any sort of customer to come through the doors.

**VvVvV**

Tenten had taken them to Training Field Nine, where she and Naruto had first sparred. Sasuke, on the other hand, hadn't been to this particular field before and did not miss the irony of its assigned number.

The bun-haired girl folded her arms against her chest and smirked. "All right, I want to spar with you guys since I've got nothing better to do and because I don't want to run my dad's shop."

"You're very responsible," Sasuke sarcastically remarked.

"Quiet, you!" Tenten retorted, glaring at Sasuke. "And I still don't believe what happened in Takigakure. You've been genin for what, a few months? I call bullshit on you two helping stop an invasion force."

"Minor invasion force," Naruto corrected with a grin. "We helped the Land of Waves, didn't we? What's another A-rank mission to the likes of us?"

"More like S-rank," Sasuke mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Seriously, facing down several jounin and a bunch of those weird ninja?"

Tenten stopped her glare for a moment. "Weird ninja? What kind of ninja?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

Naruto shrugged. "They had musical notes on their forehead protectors. Plus, they were all trying to kill me. Annoying bastards."

Sasuke chuckled. "Trying to, anyway."

"My team and I have seen those ninja too... they sometimes appear to help bandits sack merchant caravans. Gai-sensei's been worried about them."

"Huh... Kakashi-sensei killed that guy in Wave, too. He was one of them, wasn't he?" Naruto asked, directing the question to his teammate.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah." Then he frowned. "So there's some anonymous village trying to cause trouble."

The two genin nearby nodded at the same time. "Yep. We can't really do anything about it, though." Tenten smirked. "So why don't we fight instead?"

"I can beat you fairly easily, you know," Sasuke said, activating his Sharingan. "My eyes are cool like that."

"You mean your eyes are cheap like that."

"Fuck you, Naruto," Sasuke shot back. "You have more chakra than Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, and I all combined. You aren't allowed to whine about cheating."

Naruto grunted and waved his hand dismissively. "Way of the ninja. Whatever. You two going to fight or are we doing a free for all?"

"I still want to show the Uchiha up," Tenten said, cracking her knuckles menacingly. "My sensei is the best taijutsu expert in Konoha. I won't be defeated so easily."

Naruto sighed to himself. "Damn, I still don't get that rematch."

The bun-haired kunoichi turned to him in exasperation. "Are you that dense? Chunin exams, remember? We can fight there if you're so insistent. Or tomorrow, if you want. Are you really that impatient?"

"Yes, he is," Sasuke quipped. He smirked at Naruto's annoyed glare and then rushed forward towards Tenten, engaging her in combat.

Sasuke quickly found out that Tenten was fully capable of backing up her claims. She wasn't quite as fast as he was and her punches probably did not pack as much power, but she was flexible. That flexibility allowed her to bend and twist around Sasuke's rapid-fire jabs and kicks.

The two broke apart. "Huh, you aren't half-bad," Sasuke remarked, looking at his opponent in a new light. "I honestly thought you were all talk, but I guess not."

"What, you think kunoichi can't be distinguished ninja?" Tenten was glaring at Sasuke.

The Uchiha in question waved his arms in front of him defensively. "No, no! It's just that you kept making unfounded claims about your skill. And," Sasuke continued, "My kaa-san _is_ a jounin, you know."

"I'm sorry for not knowing that," Tenten deadpanned. "At least you aren't sexist. I swear, I meet too many guys that think kunoichi are weak or fragile just because of their gender."

Sasuke scoffed. "Yeah, let's just ignore the existence of Tsunade-hime of the Sannin."

And Fuu, but Sasuke didn't really want to mention that. He had left her out of the edited tale he had told Tenten earlier.

Tenten tapped her chin with a demure finger. "Well, it's nice to meet more ninja that aren't sexist."

Sasuke relaxed himself and sank to the ground, sitting in a cross-legged position. He put his chin into his palm, with the elbow of his arm balanced on his knee. "Yeah, whatever. No more fighting? We kind of went off on a tangent."

"Hey, let me have a go," Naruto cut in. "I haven't done anything for days!"

"Well, we did just return from a high-ranked mission," Sasuke said. Then he frowned. "Naruto, did you ever receive the money for your mission?" The blonde jinchuriki shook his head.

"If it's too much to carry, they drop it in your bank account or with a trusted guardian," Tenten chimed in. "If it really was a high-ranked mission, and I'm not saying it was because I still don't really believe you, then it'll be in the bank or with your parents."

Sasuke and Naruto frowned deeply, which caused Tenten to raise an eyebrow in return. "What's wrong? You guys are ninja. You should already have a bank account."

"It's not that," Sasuke quickly said. "It's just that..." He turned to Naruto.

"I'm an orphan. The Hokage manages my account," Naruto muttered, hanging his head slightly.

Tenten's subsequent reaction was not expected.

"Holy shit, the _Hokage_ manages your account? Damn, you must be filthy rich!" Then she stopped and rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry about the orphan thing though. Did you ever know your parents?"

Naruto shook his head. "Died when I was born. Hokage-jiji told me that they were killed in the Kyuubi attack."

"He's not rich either," Sasuke added. "Or at least I don't think you are. You're not rich, are you?"

Naruto shook his head again. Tenten sank to the grass next to Sasuke with Naruto doing the same afterward. "So then why does the Hokage watch over your account in particular? No offense, but it's just weird. Why would possibly the strongest ninja in the village watch over whatever money you have, especially if it's not much?"

Naruto rocked on his behind, debating whether or not he would tell her. Fuu knew, but that didn't count much. Sasuke's acceptance had made him slightly more brazen, but he was still apprehensive. Her father knew and didn't care, so why not? Besides, the old man believed he would find more people to accept him.

"What do you know about the Kyuubi attack that happened thirteen years ago?" Naruto started.

"Caused a lot of damage, Yondaime killed it with some forbidden jutsu," Tenten replied, not seeing the point. "Why?"

"The Kyuubi was a Biju, which are massive beasts of chakra," Sasuke explained. "Because of that, they can't be killed."

"So?" Tenten really didn't see the point of this. The Kyuubi, unable to be killed? If it wasn't able to be killed then Konoha certainly wouldn't exist and neither would they. All that would remain would be a pile of rubble.

"In order to stop the Kyuubi from destroying Konoha, the Yondaime had to seal it away." Naruto stated. He was staring at Tenten with an odd intensity that made her feel nervous. "To completely stop the fox, the Yondaime sealed it into a newborn baby."

And then Tenten made the connection. She wasn't the top kunoichi in her class for nothing.

Some of the other things surrounding Naruto also made sense. Those glares directed at him that she had noticed, the bright orange, and his earlier behavior all pointed to an individual starved for attention, for companionship.

It made her feel sick. "So people hate and glare at you because the Kyuubi is sealed within you?" Tenten questioned, her eyes soft.

"It's mostly the civilians," Sasuke murmured. "They see him as the Kyuubi reincarnated, strangely enough. Most ninja don't care either way since they're not stupid, but only the older people know his secret. Ninja our ages and below don't."

"Why?" she asked.

"The old man wanted to protect me. He wanted me to have a chance at friendship; a chance for a normal life, so he created a law that forbade anyone from revealing my secret under the threat of death," Naruto explained.

"But it didn't completely work," Tenten realized. "The adults were unable to do much of anything to you. So rather than speak freely about your prisoner, they glared, hated, and did a bunch of other things to you. In order to get around the law, their children were told to stay away from you, weren't they?"

"Yep. I think your shop and Ichiraku's are one of the very few stores that don't overcharge me."

"That's terrible," Tenten breathed, giving Naruto a saddened look. "You were just a child!"

"Like I said, civilians are stupid," Sasuke cut in.

Tenten growled. "Idiots. Why would they think that you were the Kyuubi reincarnated? That sounds completely unrealistic!"

Naruto shrugged. "Not to them. Remember, fear breeds ignorance." Then he smiled gratefully at Tenten. "You don't care, do you?"

Tenten gave Naruto a thumbs up and a toothy smile. Her teeth gleamed in the process. "Not about the Kyuubi, no. I feel like cracking skulls right now though," Tenten replied. Truthfully, she was touched that Naruto had confided in her. She knew it must have taken a lot of guts to actually reveal something that large.

There was a snort from the nearby Uchiha. "Funny. Anyway, you can't tell anyone that doesn't know. Between us or people that do know, it doesn't matter."

"Can you do anything with the fox?" Tenten asked, steering the conversation to a different direction. "I'm curious. Do you just hold the thing back or what? I mean, kunai sealed within scrolls are still useful."

Naruto involuntarily shuddered. "I can draw on its chakra, but..." he trailed off, his eyes growing distant in recollection of a particular memory.

"The chakra feels like death incarnate," Sasuke mumbled. "It's not a good feeling at all."

"What does it do?"

"Makes me stronger, faster, heal quicker, and extremely aggressive," Naruto responded. "I can walk through jutsu too. Seriously, I blasted through a giant wave by running into it."

Tenten stared at Naruto dumbly before turning to Sasuke. "You weren't lying, were you?"

"I might have lied on the details, but Naruto did run through a wave. I saw it with my own two eyes."

Tenten was silent for a moment. "Does your other teammate know?" If the demonic chakra of the Kyuubi was malicious enough to warrant Sasuke's description, then it would be likely that anyone in the immediate vicinity would notice its use.

"No," the blonde answered. He squirmed in place for a moment. "I don't want to tell her," he whispered.

"Why?" Tenten asked. "She's a ninja."

Sasuke nodded slowly, having figured out Naruto's reason why he didn't want to tell their pink-haired teammate.

He had been invited once to their house when Naruto had been training on his own. He had met her parents, both of which were civilians. They were pleasant, polite, and Sakura's mother could make food good enough to rival his own mother's concoctions. She also poked fun at them.

Damn dating insinuations. They were only thirteen!

But that was just it. They were civilians. Given what Naruto had gone through, he didn't want to trust civilians. They had been the source of his misery for most of his life and probably still were, despite him not holding any grudges. Sasuke assumed that Naruto might believe Sakura's parents would poison her opinions of him.

Sakura was a kunoichi, though. She was the top kunoichi of her year. Even better, her position was cemented mainly in academics and everyone in their original class knew that Sakura was a book-worm. It was entirely possible that she had read about Biju and jinchuriki.

However, another thought entered his mind. It was also entirely possible that the Sandaime Hokage had ordered ANBU observation over the library and over any possible material that would hint at Naruto's status. That would simply be an extension of his law. Privacy destroying, yes, but they were in a ninja village.

"She's from a civilian family," Sasuke stated, not looking at Tenten. "Even if she is a ninja now, her family members are not. In addition, her parents are civilians. She comes from no notable clan and probably has no heritage or inclination towards the ninja arts. Do you get what I'm saying, Tenten?"

The girl closed her eyes and turned her head up at the sky. "Yes," she murmured, not liking what Sasuke was implying.

"Yeah," Naruto said grimly. "I've had a ninja think I'm the Kyuubi incarnate and then attempt to kill me."

"Mizuki," Sasuke spat, still disgusted that the old assistant chunin would attempt such a thing.

Although, he couldn't help but be impressed with Naruto successfully stealing the Scroll of Seals. How had he managed to pull that off, anyway? He'd have to ask his blonde teammate sometime. All he really knew was that Mizuki had tricked him and then attacked him.

"You should trust your teammates though," Tenten insisted. Teamwork was part of Konoha's philosophy, after all. Without trust, teams could easily fall apart.

"Maybe," Naruto replied. "I want to see how she reacts to other jinchuriki."

Tenten cocked her head. "Jinchuriki?" she questioned.

"It's the term used for the Biju containers," Sasuke explained. "I feel like it's offensive, though."

"It's fine," Naruto said quickly. "I don't take offense to it. It's better than being called a _thing_."

The blonde winced at the combined killing intent emanating from Sasuke and Tenten.

It did give him a warm glow in his chest, though.

"Wait, we went off into another tangent," Tenten said. Then she folded her arms over her chest. "Why does the Hokage himself watch over your funds? Why not someone else?"

"Someone who isn't biased probably helps," Sasuke mused. "The Hokage might just make sure nothing shady happens to your money. I mean, I'd be pissed off if my mission money vanished without a trace."

The three genin shared a laugh.

One more person had truly joined Naruto's list of precious people.

A memory then came rushing back to his brain and he abruptly stopped laughing. His friends stared at him for a moment before Naruto paled.

"I forgot to treat Iruka-sensei to ramen!"

* * *

><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: So yes, Naruto/Sasuke's first kills were spoken about. Or typed about. Whatever. In any case, Naruto recovered faster than Sasuke because he doesn't dwell too much on stuff like that and because someone who accepts him (Fuu doesn't really count) makes him feel a lot better. Naruto's a cheerful guy, anyway.**

**Chunin exam time coming up! Mist, Cloud, and Leaf are the major villages attending.  
><strong>

**Anyway, if you have any questions, PM me or leave a review. I answer actual questions.**


	13. Departure

**A/N: Really long chapter ahead. Remember to notify me if there are any issues. Chunin exam arc has begun.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

><p>Chapter Thirteen: Departure<p>

(Kumogakure no Sato)

A large, dark-skinned, muscular man was reclining on a couch. His combed-back white hair, moustache, and beard denoted him as A, the Yondaime Raikage of Kumogakure. His expression was neutral as he looked upon the contestants that were going to be heading to Kirigakure for the nearing chunin exams.

Most of them weren't anything special, but one team had been trained by his brother. They were going to be escorted by Darui, a high-caliber jounin who had inherited the Sandaime Raikage's special Black Lightning. The Raikage's brother was instructed not to leave Kumogakure or the surrounding area which was why Darui was escorting them.

"Everyone!" The Raikage yelled in a gruff tone, drawing attention to himself, "You all understand the reason as to why you're heading to Kirigakure?"

There was a chorus of "Yes, Raikage-sama".

"Good," A said, in a much quieter tone of voice. "No one has been able to obtain sufficient information on Kirigakure in years except for Amegakure. This exam they are hosting should be enough to get some actual intelligence for once. Plus, Konohagakure on Sato is also sending teams of their own. We're not quite sure who they're sending, but keep an eye out for them as well."

The command the Yondaime Raikage was sending to them all was, in effect, to be aware of any useful bloodline users. If any could be found, taken, or killed during the exams, nothing could be done. No one could really just call A a musclehead. He had a shrewd head on his shoulders and would take an opportunity to increase Kumo's military strength if it presented itself.

Removing problematic individuals was also a possibility.

"Get out of here," A muttered, sweeping his eyes across the nominees. As the teams of genin left the room, the Raikage's secretary leaned down to his ear and muttered something. The Raikage groaned and rose from his seated position. He headed over to his desk to finish up some final forms regarding the exams.

Mabui smirked to herself. She liked being the only one in Kumo with the ability to force the Raikage himself to do something.

**VvVvV**

(Konohagakure no Sato)

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched as the selected genin teams from Konoha finally left the large gates. He had given a speech about the Will of Fire, hoping that the genin would gain a boost in confidence.

There had been a small amount of teams leaving Konoha and heading to Kirigakure no Sato. If the exams had been set in Konoha, then the number would obviously skyrocket, but Kiri had insisted on hosting them.

What would surprise other nations were the rookie teams that had elected to head to the foggy village. Normally, sending rookie teams to foreign nations was an extremely bad choice, but Hiruzen did want to encourage better relations between Konoha and Kiri. Suna had been slowly going under and its allegiance to Konoha was quickly becoming more trouble than it was worth.

In all honesty, Hiruzen was surprised Hyuuga Hiashi had allowed his daughter to attend the exams. Kumo was sending teams as well, which meant that Hinata could become a target. Perhaps he trusted that the Kiri examiners would be overly sympathetic to bloodline wielders?

Kiri had changed much, after all.

Finally, once the last genin team left, the gates closed and the Hokage left to head back to his office. Jiraiya was waiting there for him and the perverted sage had said that he had important information regarding Otogakure. The shinobi of that village had been causing trouble lately.

When the grizzled Hokage entered his office, he turned his head to the right. "Hello, Jiraiya-kun. ANBU, leave us." The four hidden ANBU in the room vanished, activating the seals lining the room as they did so.

A large man with long white hair appeared, giving his old sensei a smirk. "Hey, old man. You give your whole 'hoo-hah' speech?" Jiraiya waved his hands around as a form of emphasis. It was all in good humor, though.

Hiruzen chuckled to himself, bringing out his favorite pipe and lighting it. Then his expression turned serious. "Now, what did was this problem you mentioned in the last message?"

Jiraiya too turned immediately serious. "I have great reason to believe Orochimaru is behind Otogakure and their shinobi. Many of the ones I've captured and killed have been changed or rather, _modified_ to an almost gruesome point."

"That is not surprising," Hiruzen said, his face grim. Hiruzen knew when his genius student was run out of Konoha that his despicable experiments would not stop. After his parents had died, Orochimaru's fascination with immortality and forbidden jutsu had exponentially increased.

Plus, with an entire village full of willing people and missing-nin, Orochimaru had no shortages of participants. Many missing-ninja wanted to become stronger for vengeance against their original village or simply to have the power to plunder where they pleased.

It was likely Orochimaru would find willing civilians who were deserted and take them back to Otogakure, too. They would be given a home, shelter, and food in exchange for horrifying experimental procedures. In the end, they would just become unknowing, dispensable tools.

It sickened the Hokage to hear how low his prized student had fallen.

"That's not the surprising part," Jiraiya replied, leaning against the nearby wall and folding his arms against his broad chest. "Oto-nin have been accumulating in various countries, especially in the Land of Wind. In addition, from what my contacts and I have seen and heard, Oto-nin are engaging ninja from other villages more and more often. I don't know what they're up to, though."

The Sandaime Hokage put his elbows on his desk and interlocked his fingers, placing his chin on them. "Are they deliberately picking their targets? Where are they fighting?"

"Usually closer to the borders between the nations. Kusagakure has had its ninja drawn to the Iwa-Kusa border more than once. Their targets don't seem to matter as long as they're in that general border area," Jiraiya replied.

Hiruzen frowned thoughtfully. "If they're leading ninja to the borders of other nations, then disputes will begin to arise. Villages will start to become wary once conflicts begin to occur nearer to those borders." The Hokage sighed, wondering why Oto-nin were instigating attacks near international borders.

If Orochimaru was behind those attacks, then an ulterior motive was present. The question was, what? What could Orochimaru hope to gain with such attacks?

"Do Iwa and Kusa have any prominent clans?" the Hokage asked. Orochimaru always had a thing for special clans and techniques exclusive to them.

"Well, there's the Kamizuru Clan of Iwa, but they've largely fell out of favor," Jiraiya replied. "There isn't really anything in Kusa, though. You think Orochimaru wants more bloodline users?"

"It's a possibility," the Hokage mused. "Kusa is a buffer, though. Do you think Orochimaru is trying to goad Iwa into invading?" It could theoretically be possible, if not downright insane. Onoki wasn't one to try something that crazy, however.

The toad sage shook his head in the negative. "I doubt that. I bet you already know how Onoki thinks, sensei. He won't try to engage us simply because his ninja is being attacked by an unknown enemy near his borders. That's moving a bit too quickly."

"What about the other villages?" Hiruzen asked. "Have any of them been drawn to the borders as well?"

"I've heard of some in in the Land of Lightning, as well as some appearing near the Land of Rivers." Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair. "Some have even tried to infiltrate Amegakure, but Yahiko deals with them quickly enough."

The Hokage allowed a slight smile to appear on his face. Yahiko was the leader of Amegakure no Sato and had been for the past nine or so years. According to Jiraiya, despite Amegakure's neutrality, it was flourishing. There was also talk of alliances with Kirigakure floating around.

Konohagakure being privy to that information spoke well of the possibility of Kirigakure being allied with Konoha as well. It wasn't that surprising, given their now-similar treatment of those with kekkei genkei. Jiraiya had had much influence in the talks too, courtesy of his relationship with the ambassador of Ame.

"Now, what about Sunagakure?"

"Much more of those Oto-nin than in other countries," Jiraiya said grimly. "In fact, it's gotten me worried. Suna ninja are the only ones who haven't really been attacked. I have a bad feeling about Suna not attempting to oust the accumulation of Oto-nin in their nation. If the Kazekage is allowing such numbers of Oto-nin near his village, then he's either an extremely shitty leader or he's letting them in."

Hiruzen puffed on his pipe in thought. "Do you have anything about Suna?"

"The Wind Daimyo has been outsourcing jobs to Konoha, right?" The Hokage nodded. "The Kazekage might think the Daimyo intends to do away with his village," Jiraiya suggested.

"Perhaps," Hiruzen said. "It wouldn't quite explain the Oto-nin. A simple assassination mission would remove the Diamyo, especially since the samurai he is so fond of are nowhere near sufficient protection against aggressive ninja."

"Maybe additional power," Jiraiya added. "Suna has long been the weakest of the great villages. The Oto-nin could give Suna the manpower it needs to defend its title from Amegakure, which has been rising on the ranks ever since Yahiko took over. As of now, I believe the only reason Suna retains its title is because of its alliance with us."

"The Kazekage might think that we will end the alliance since the Mizukage and I are on good terms. Kirigakure brings more to the table than Suna does, too."

"They feel threatened," Jiraiya muttered. "The Kazekage might have asked Orochimaru for help, which he was able to supply. It still doesn't make sense."

"Why would Orochimaru help one of the greats? He doesn't exactly hold any love for our policies," Hiruzen mused. "This is going nowhere. We'll wait and see what Suna does and what happens with the Iwa-Kusa border." He left the other locations unsaid since Iwa and Suna were more immediate matters to Konoha security.

Jiraiya nodded and changed the topic. "So, what are you going to do about Kumo? I'm surprised Hiashi let his daughter leave to an exam with Kumo ninja in attendance."

"We can't really do anything for the moment. I doubt Yagura will allow anything underhanded to happen, but I have cautioned Hinata and her sensei just in case," Hiruzen replied.

Jiraiya hummed in thought. "I'm wondering how well our genin will do. I know you sent out our rookies, but how many other jounin signed their teams up?"'

The elder man puffed on his pipe for a moment. "Six, actually. The rookie teams, Guy's team, and two squads that have been in service. Don't worry about them; I think they'll all do a fine job representing Konoha. It might do them good to see the exams in a foreign nation." Hiruzen then smirked. "But you're concerned about Naruto, aren't you?"

The perverted sage sighed to himself and looked away. "Yep. He's already tapped into the Kyuubi's chakra, but I'm still nervous about him encountering ninja that might... recognize something about him."

"Ah." His parentage, then. The Hokage was well-aware of Kushina's near-kidnapping by Kumo so many years ago. The Raikage and possibly the genin would be aware of such an event, so Naruto's name would spark recognition. His blonde hair would as well, considering the multiple encounters the current Raikage had had with the blonde's father.

"Kiri is also aware of the Uzumaki Clan's legacy," Jiraiya added. "They might be wondering about his heritage since most of the time, Uzumaki traits are dominant."

"They still are, considering the way his chakra acts," Hiruzen replied. "I wouldn't forget about his personality. He's not quite so loud as he used to be, but he'll voice his displeasure if he wants to. But yes, if something happens, we might have to inform him."

"I think I'm more afraid of confronting him about it than when I faced Hanzo all those years ago."

"You shouldn't wallow in your regret, Jiraiya-kun. You had other duties at the time and toting an infant around is hardly much help, nor would it be safe."

"I still should have dropped by and spoken with him every now and then," Jiraiya replied with a hint of sadness.

"If he passes the second stage of the exams, you should train him." Jiraiya's head snapped to meet his sensei's gaze. "I know it would be difficult, but the boy does crave companionship. You would be the best choice."

Of course it would be difficult. The damn blonde was basically Minato with Kushina's personality. It would stir up painful memories, such as when Jiraiya received the message detailing the Yondaime Hokage's death.

"I will. I might tell him regardless, consequences be damned. I'll take him with me when I go out. Have those assassins try and attack him then," Jiraiya joked, giving his sensei a small grin.

"I think he'll be much more mature than you think about his heritage. I haven't seen him run around the streets yelling about how he's the heir to an extinct clan, after all. Perhaps you should get him started on seals?" the Hokage suggested. There was also the chance that Naruto had inherited his mother's powerful chakra and the advantages that came with it.

Jiraiya mulled it about in his head for a moment. "Maybe. I am going to tell him about his mother, though." It was the least Jiraiya could do after failing to look after his godson. At the very least, he had been able to protect the boy from those who would seek to do harm to him when the blonde was younger.

"Please do," the Hokage agreed. It would do the boy some good to learn who his mother was and how much she loved him.

"So, do you know why Naruto's team has already been on two A-rank missions? I re-read his list three times before I realized it wasn't a typo." In Jiraiya's opinion, two A-ranks at his age and rank was a bit excessive. The Hokage would never authorize such a thing to begin with.

The Sandaime coughed nervously. "Yes, well, about that..." What could the Hokage say? That Team Seven's luck was both terrible and amazing at the same time? It would suit their label, that he was sure of. "Naruto's team has been rather... unlucky when it comes to missions out of the village."

"Let me guess," Jiraiya said with an annoyed look on his face, "C-ranks with something thrown in, right? Both of their C-ranks were turned into A-ranks? What the hell, sensei?"

Well, it wasn't really the Sandaime's fault. It couldn't have been. "The first had the client lying since he couldn't pay for the actual rank his request would be designated. The second was-"

"A clusterfuck," Jiraiya cut in. "I read the file. It's impressive that both of the A-rank missions were successfully completed by a team of genin and their jounin-sensei, but what the hell kind of chance was there that they would be forced to help a ninja village fight off a strike force?"

"Naruto _is_ the most unpredictable ninja in Konoha," Hiruzen replied with a smile, his nervousness fading. "He did manage to defeat the enemy jounin as well as prevent any serious damage to his team. I'd like to think that mission helped him."

Jiraiya snorted. Naruto certainly was lucky to survive. The Kyuubi's chakra leaking out at the right moment and help from Takigakure's own jinchuriki was a stroke of luck from the gods themselves. The toad sage then raised an eyebrow. "That mission helped him? Aside from the hefty sum he got upon completion and the trade agreements, what happened?" Mission reports weren't really for personal moments.

"He took his first lives," the Sandaime informed with a slight frown.

"And?" Jiraiya pressed. He had surmised as such when the file he had read noted how Naruto defeated the jounin while channeling the Kyuubi's chakra. There had to be something else; a fresh genin obtaining his or her first kill was not exactly an easy ordeal to go through.

"Well, he befriended Takigakure's jinchuriki and convinced her to help him fight for her village," the Hokage added. "I believe Sasuke Uchiha and the kunoichi on Guy's team have been told about his tenant as well."

Understanding dawned on Jiraiya's face. It would explain why Naruto's first kills had not been as traumatic an experience. "So the brat's found two people who accept him and he's befriended another jinchuriki." Jiraiya shook his head in amusement. "Must have made him pretty happy when that happened."

"You have no idea," Hiruzen replied, his talk with Naruto still fresh in his mind. The blonde had truly exuded happiness, something that didn't happen as much as it needed to.

"He'll be that happy when he learns who his mother was," Jiraiya said, fully intending on revealing to Naruto the identity of his mother. "I'm going now, anyway. The women are calling to me. You know what I'm talking about, eh sensei?" Jiraiya waggled his eyebrows at his old sensei, who gave him an amused smile.

Jiraiya left through the nearby window, heading towards the bathing areas in order to obtain some inspiration for his original series.

As he left, Hiruzen could hear a faint, perverted giggle echo throughout the air.

**VvVvV**

(Near the Land of Waves)

Naruto was excited. Hell, he was excited even before the group of eighteen genin and six jounin set out. He was excited before the old man gave his pump-it-up speech. Hell, he was excited when he took Iruka out for ramen and sparred with him in order to assuage the man's fears.

The blonde jinchuriki would finally get to see his relative again, as well as another possible member of the Uzumaki Clan. Plus, there was the chance that he could get promoted during the exams, and that was always a nice possibility. It would certainly gain him more respect if he was promoted.

In addition, Naruto was also excited to see the Land of Waves again. It had been quite a while since he had been there, not that he knew if he ever was going to visit after he originally left to return back to Konoha. He would be happy to visit Inari, Tsunami, and the old drunk carpenter again. Maybe Wave's economy would be up on its feet, too.

Naruto grinned deviously. Finally, some proof that his tale wasn't just spun up lies! Tenten was still skeptical about the whole thing, despite Sasuke's insistence that Naruto wasn't lying. Speaking of the weapon-using kunoichi...

Tenten, followed by her two teammates, sauntered over to where Naruto and the rest of Team Seven were walking. She lightly punched the blonde in the shoulder to get his attention. "So do I get some evidence or what?"

"Still hung up about that mission?" Naruto asked, smirking at her. "I told you, our first mission out of Konoha turned into an A-rank. I even had Sasuke-teme vouch for me!"

"Yeah, but to me you're still green as grass genin who could be lying to make themselves look better than they are," Tenten responded, returning Naruto's smirk in full.

"Hey!" Sakura said, joining the conversation. "Our first C-rank mission did turn into an A-rank!" Sakura turned her head towards Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, can't you tell... I'm sorry, what was your name? My name is Haruno Sakura," the pink-haired girl introduced.

"You can just call me Tenten. Nice to meet you, Sakura-san. I've met your teammates before," she said. Then she turned to her own teammates and introduced them with a playful flourish. She pointed to the fair-skinned boy with white eyes first. "This is Hyuuga Neji. Neji, meet the brat and his teammates." Tenten ignored Naruto's indignant 'I'm not a brat, damn it!'.

Neji seemed to have an air of arrogance about him. When his white eyes scrutinized Naruto, the blonde felt as if Tenten's teammate was looking down on him. Naruto could swear the boy wanted to say something demeaning, but he remained silent after looking Team Seven over.

Tenten's other teammate was a bit... different, in Naruto's opinion. Green spandex, orange leg warmers, thick eyebrows, and an interesting personality were what defined Rock Lee. "I am pleased to meet the youthful acquaintances of Tenten!" Lee then bowed in turn to each member of Team Seven.

He blushed as he bowed to Sakura. "I will be most pleased to fight you in the chunin exams! I hope our fights will be extremely youthful," the boy stated, standing up ramrod straight as he did so. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior.

"Wow, Tenten. I guess you were right. Your teammate is-" Naruto was interrupted by Tenten slapping her hand over his mouth and chuckling sheepishly. If Lee thought anything of it, his face didn't show it. Tenten moved her hand away from Naruto, which earned her a glare from the blonde-haired jinchuriki.

All three of them returned to walking with their sensei, who looked exactly like a taller version of Lee, only he was walking on his hands.

"That was... strange," Sasuke muttered, still confused about what Lee had been talking about regarding 'youth'.

Naruto shrugged. "She did tell us he was crazy. He and her sensei. Whoever wears _that_ really does deserve the insanity award."

"You're one to talk, Naruto," Sakura said, an image of Naruto's previous choice of clothing appearing in her mind. "You wore that hideous orange suit until we left for Takigakure!"

The blonde jinchuriki raised his hands in front of him defensively. "Hey, I swapped clothing! I look better now, though, right?"

Sakura rolled her eyes at him and then turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, why didn't you back us up? She won't believe us, but she would have believed you." Sakura wasn't even sure if Kakashi had been listening to the previous conversation.

Kakashi was walking with his faithful orange book in hand. He flipped a page and said, "Did you say something, Sakura?" The pink-haired kunoichi groaned in frustration and clenched her hands, walking over to where Team Ten was clustered.

It proved to make her angrier since Ino suddenly realized Sasuke was nearby. The Yamanaka heir ran over and hugged the Uchiha heir, causing _him_ to start groaning while Shikamaru and Chouji threw him sympathetic looks.

Sarutobi Asuma's snickering and the bickering between Sakura and Ino drew the attention of Team Eight and their own sensei, Yuuhi Kurenai. If the frown on the face of the genjutsu mistress was anything to note, she was not amused by the childish behavior they were displaying. Neither were the older genin, for that matter.

"Looks like the loyal Sasuke fanclub is at it again," Kiba loudly whispered, giving his old classmates a grin. Sakura and Ino immediately stopped fighting and turned to glare at Kiba, who shuffled away from them. Akamaru, sitting on Kiba's head, made a yipping sound, which caused Kiba to scowl.

"Hey Kiba," Naruto greeted, giving the feral boy a grin. He greeted Shino, who gave him an acknowledging nod, and Hinata, who blushed, right afterward.

"You know, when we left, I was wondering why they let dead-last's attend these chunin exams. I heard they were supposed to be for genin who were actually supposed to be worth a damn," Kiba taunted, giving Naruto a challenging look.

The blonde boy shrugged. "Maybe your sensei didn't want you to cry, so she put in a good word for you." Naruto smirked at Kiba's responding growl.

"I'm going to enjoy beating you into the ground, Naruto," Kiba shot back. "Just because you changed your fashion sense doesn't mean you're any better."

Hinata fidgeted for a moment before speaking up. "K-Kiba-kun, shouldn't we be helping each other? We are among the only teams to attend, after all."

"She has a point," Naruto added, grinning at Hinata. His grin faltered when the girl ducked her head and seemed to shrink into her large jacket. Had he done something wrong? Naruto shrugged it off. "Kirigakure is a foreign village, so we should probably be helping each other rather than yelling at each other."

"Naruto is correct," Shino said, joining the conversation. Naruto was surprised at this since he couldn't really recall a time when Shino had ever spoken before. "We are from Konoha and as such, we are comrades. We should stand together in the face of shinobi from opposing villages."

Kiba could see the logic in his statement and backed off. Kurenai, watching her students from the corner of her eye, mentally smiled at their show of camaraderie. Sakura and Ino had resumed bickering and so Sasuke took the chance to slip away and speak with Shikamaru.

"So are you two actually interested in taking the chunin exams?" The Uchiha asked, giving Shikamaru and Chouji a surprised look. He had taken both of them to be quite lazy during their academic days. Not to mention they were both extreme underachievers- Shikamaru by virtue of being a Nara and Chouji by extension as the Nara's closest friend.

Shikamaru snorted. "Of course not. Troublesome women made me take it..." By which he meant his mother and Ino.

"What, you don't want to promoted?" Sasuke would want to get promoted as soon as possible. He wanted to prove that he could become just as accomplished as his older brother.

"Why would you want to be promoted? It's just more troublesome work," Shikamaru lazily said, his eyes half-lidded. "What I could go for right now is a nice nap."

"You always want a nap, Shika," Chouji remarked, grinning at his friend. Shikamaru groaned and would have kept up his slouch, but he suddenly stopped, his eyes wide. Sasuke and Chouji followed his eyes to the marker that denoted the name of the massive bridge in front of them.

"I don't freaking believe it," Tenten said, gazing at the marker in disbelief. Every single one of the genin and jounin were dumb-founded as well, bar Kakashi. The masked jounin was still reading his pornography and was seemingly unaffected by the bridge's label.

"'The Great Naruto Bridge'..." Kiba muttered, his jaw slack. "How the hell did this bridge get named _that_?"

With that comment, everyone, including Naruto's teammates, turned to look at him. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at their expressions. He didn't really know that his name was used for the bridge either. "It's kind of a long story, but I guess I helped inspire this place to rebel against their former tyrannical overlord?"

"Something along those lines," Sasuke dryly said. Really, all Naruto did was come up with a harebrained scheme to help their sensei stop that one missing ninja. He had also helped Inari, but that couldn't have been that big of a deal. Maybe they named the bridge after him in honor of the entertainment he supplied. The blonde had done several amusing things during their stay in Wave.

"So, Tenten... believe me now?" She would have to believe him. It's not everyday a bridge gets named after a person. The proof was right there in front of her!

The bun-haired girl sighed. "Fine, you win... I still don't want to believe it, though."

"Enough distractions," Kurenai interrupted, giving a sweeping glance over the genin. "Let's keep moving. There's a ship waiting for us on this island that will take us to the ports in the Land of Water." Everyone began to walk across the bridge.

As they were walking, Naruto noticed that there were more people present than the time during his mission. More children, couples, and ordinary people were on the bridge, and none of them looked malnourished or desperate in any way. In fact, they looked content, something that Naruto himself was happy about. It meant the mission his team was assigned had truly succeeded.

The inside of the island had even more people bustling about doing their own errands or simply engaging in their own conversations. Wave seemed to be full of life compared to before. To Naruto, it seemed like a miracle at work rather than just the simple flow of business and fortune seized from Gato.

"It seems as if this place is doing much better than before," Kakashi mused, his book now absent.

"What was it like before?" Ino asked, her curiosity getting the better of her now that she wasn't fighting with Sakura. Seeing the happy civilians running about made Ino wonder what it could have been like before. It looked as if the people had always been happy.

"Terrible," Naruto darkly said. "There were people on the streets starving with absolutely no money to go around. Even the stores had little food since the tyrant of the island kept taking their money and crops."

"How depressing," Shikamaru yawned, ignoring the glare that Ino sent his way. "Can we get a move on? I want to get on that ship and take a nap already."

"Kakashi-sensei, can we visit old man Tazuna and Inari?" Naruto pleaded, giving his sensei a puppy-eyes look. Shikamaru threw the blonde an annoyed frown.

Kakashi shrugged at his shortest student. "Who knows? You might see them once we get to the ship."

Once the group of shinobi reached the side of the island opposite that of the bridge, they noticed a somewhat large ship with sails and men manning it. It was docked at port, waiting patiently for the ones who had hired it. Asuma walked forward to provide identification while the others waited patiently.

Naruto coincidentally did pick out Tazuna and Inari in the small crowd of people mulling about. He slipped away from the Konoha shinobi and confronted them. "Hey! Old man Tazuna, Inari!" Naruto yelled, getting their attention. He wasn't loud enough to make everyone stare at him in annoyance, but he did notify the old man and Inari of his presence.

The drunk bridge builder, clad in a fancy-looking black and white suit, turned to Naruto in surprise. "Well, if it isn't the brat!" Inari's eyes lit up as well when he saw Naruto. "I almost didn't recognize you in your new clothes. They look much better than that orange monstrosity you used to wear."

"Everyone calls me a brat and hates orange..." Naruto muttered, eyes downcast. Then he perked up right afterward. "So what have you guys been doing? You're looking sharp in that suit, Tazuna-san. Nice to see you too, Inari."

Tazuna laughed and Inari bounded up to Naruto's face. "Naruto-nii! Tazuna-ji-san's been made into the mayor of our village because of how much the bridge has helped." Inari and Tazuna both grinned at the same time. "It's all because of you!"

The blonde jinchuriki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't think it was a big deal. People should help other people if they're in trouble, right?"

"Yeah, definitely not a big deal," a new voice interjected. Sasuke walked up to them and gave a greeting. Then he turned back to Naruto with a frown on his face. "Stop being modest and let's go. We're kind of running late." Sasuke apologized to Tazuna and Inari, both of which wished the genin males luck on the chunin exams.

They got aboard the ship and Naruto received a scolding from Sakura on randomly leaving and ending up being slightly late.

**VvVvV**

(Seas of the Land of Water)

The genin of Team Seven had been on a boat before; a very small one. That small boat had been directed by a civilian with an oar and had been moving quite slow in order to avoid confrontation by unsavory individuals such as Gato's hired goons.

The ship the Konoha genin and jounin were on was quite different. It was much larger, for one, and actually had a crew running about. Each sailor was doing a different task in order to keep the floating hunk of wood moving. Naruto had wanted to help via clones, but Kakashi warned him about revealing secrets, so the blonde had to sit back and watch the sailors do their work.

Naruto also saw how queasy Sakura and Ino looked. Sasuke didn't look so good either. "Why do you guys look like you're about to puke?" Naruto asked, faintly amused at how they were nauseous from the simple rocking motion of the boat.

"Shut up, Naruto-baka! I've never traveled on something like this!" Sakura yelled, her face beginning to turn green. She was leaning over the edge of the ship just in case her stomach decided to release its contents.

Sasuke was faring a bit better, but he sent a silent glare at Naruto anyway. Ino was sitting on the wooden planks of the ship and leaning against the side, frantically trying to ease the tumultuous feeling her stomach was giving off.

"Neither have I, but a rocking ship shouldn't get you sick like that," Naruto shot back. "Besides, we're shinobi. If this ship affects us so much, then we're going to have a hard time in the exams." Naruto was just teasing them, but the growls from Sakura, Ino, and Sasuke made him stop.

Finally, the feeling in their stomachs began to pass and the three queasy genin got their 'sea legs', as the sailors called it. Sasuke and Sakura joined Naruto and Kakashi, both of whom were looking out into the sea. "Oh, are you two feeling better now?" Kakashi asked, not looking at his students. "The fresh, salty sea air will do wonders for your health you know."

Naruto grinned and leaned forward over the side of the ship. He had to admit, the breeze running through his hair felt pretty great. It wasn't something he had really experienced before, or paid much attention to.

"Kakashi-sensei, how long will this trip take?" Sakura asked in a tired tone. Although she wasn't as queasy as before, she wanted to return to solid land as soon as possible.

"A few days, at most," Kakashi replied. "Of course, that's the best-case scenario. We might miss the chunin exams completely if the weather turns bad." When no response came, he turned to see his genin all looking rather pale. "I'm not being serious, you three."

The three genin of Team Seven glared at their sensei. "Don't scare us like that, sensei," Sasuke muttered quietly, his gaze now turned to the vast volume of water in front of him. "I feel high-strung just from the prospect of participating in the exams."

"Lighten up," Kakashi said, giving Sasuke an eye-smile. "Being nervous can negatively impact your performance as a ninja. Just try your best; you can always attend the next set of exams if you don't pass this one. And believe me, no one is expecting rookies to pass their first chunin exams."

"Then we'll have to prove them wrong, won't we?" Naruto said, grinning at his sensei and teammates. "Let's show them that we're all promotion-ready!"

Kakashi sighed to himself. "Confidence is helpful too, but be careful not to become too confident, else you will start to become arrogant, which is a recipe for disaster. Even moreso for ninja," he advised.

All three genin were silent as they absorbed what Kakashi had told them. "By the way, I did catch what all three of you were doing on your own time. I'm proud that you continued to improve yourselves even without my guidance," Kakashi remarked.

All three genin felt a bit of pride at the praise they received from their sensei.

**VvVvV**

(Kirigakure no Sato)

When the ship had finally reached the port in the Land of Water, a small group of Kiri-nin were waiting. They got the attention of the Konoha shinobi and escorted them to their village. The trip on the ship took a few days, while the trip on foot to Kirigakure itself took one.

Much like the first visit to Wave, Kirigakure had mist everywhere. It wasn't thick or obscuring unless you went a certain distance away from the ninja village, but it was still there and helped to hide certain things from sight. In addition, there was much vegetation that grew in the dank village. Some of the vegetation even grew on top of certain buildings.

"This place is huge!" Kiba remarked, looking around with a wide, toothy smile. Akamaru was sniffing the air and gazing around as well, curious about this new location they had traveled to.

"Of course it's huge," Naruto said, giving Kiba a look that screamed 'you're an idiot'. "We _are_ in a ninja village, after all."

"Stop picking fights," Kurenai exasperatedly said. "We're in a neutral nation and you two are Konoha ninja. You should be much more serious about this." Kiba immediately bit back his retort and nodded, straightening his spine and returning to what he was doing previously.

Naruto did the same, remembering what his sensei had told him in the days before they left Konoha. Still, it was so difficult for him to keep from running off and exploring the place. Despite the mist and cloudy sky, the place was filled with children, people, and shinobi wearing chunin vests or battle kimonos.

Some of the ninja were cautious, but many of the civilians gave the visiting Konoha ninja a smile and a wave. Some even offered up fish or squid caught in the surrounding seas. Since they were free, Naruto immediately devoured some offered fish and squid. Sakura gave him a disapproving look, but what did he care? It was free food!

"Where is the first exam held?" Shino asked his sensei.

"Well, we arrived a bit early. The exam doesn't start for a day or so," Kurenai informed, increasing the volume of her voice so that all of the Konoha genin and jounin would hear. "We need to find our designated hotel." Kurenai brought out a modified map that she had been given when they entered the village. After scanning it for a few moments and looking around, she headed off in a certain direction.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, the Konoha entourage reached their destination. The place they were staying at was made up of brick like the rest of the buildings in the village. In addition, moss was growing on various parts of the outside due to the climate Kirigakure had.

While the outside of the building had moisture dripping off of various places, the inside was quite warm and dry. All of the genin breathed a sigh of relief as they entered. The building was large; it had to be in order to house participating genin from other villages. Each room was assigned and the genin left to get some sleep on a warm bed- without the rocking of a ship.

The following day, the genin actually did have free reign to explore the village so long as they did not get into trouble, according to the management of the hotel. Kakashi didn't accompany his genin when they left and opted to remain in the hotel.

The other Konoha squads had left before Team Seven, so Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura took it upon themselves to take a closer look around. While they were looking around, Naruto broke off from his team. He hadn't planned on doing so, but the village was huge! Sasuke was being too slow and Sakura was content to follow the Uchiha around.

As Naruto ran around, he bought food when he was hungry and entered shinobi weapon shops when he saw them. Despite him being from a different village, the shop owners were quite friendly. However, because he was from a different village, there were limits on what he could purchase. Secrets did have to be kept, after all.

The blonde jinchuriki was also keeping an eye out for any familiarity. He hadn't seen anyone yet, despite having explored most of the shops and stands littering the village. However, due to his speed, he did eventually run into someone. The collision threw both him and the figure opposite of him to the ground.

Naruto rubbed his head and groaned. "Ouch... I need to watch where I'm going," he muttered. Then he looked forward and saw a teenage girl smoothing out her kimono. She looked to be around his age, perhaps a few years older. He noticed her forehead protector immediately- she was a kunoichi of Kirigakure.

The kunoichi gracefully arose from the ground and extended a hand and a kind smile to Naruto. He gratefully returned the smile and grabbed her soft hand. He got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Are you all right?" the kunoichi asked him in a soft voice.

Naruto got his first eyeful of the kunoichi. She had flowing black hair that was partially tied with a needle and brown eyes, as well as pale skin. In Naruto's opinion, she looked quite attractive. "I'm fine, thanks. It was my fault anyway," Naruto responded, giving the kunoichi a foxy grin.

The kunoichi then noticed his forehead protector. "You are here for the chunin exams?" she asked.

"Yep," Naruto said, nodding. "I'm going to get promoted so I'm one step closer to becoming Hokage." One step closer to recognition.

"So you have a dream, do you?" The kunoichi inquired. "What is your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja!" he boasted, pointing a thumb to his chest. Then he stopped and shrugged. "Well, I'd like to be."

The kunoichi giggled at his introduction. "My name is Yuki Haku. I'm also participating in the chunin exams. I'm hoping to become an accomplished hunter ninja."

Naruto scrunched up his face in thought. "So you want to help your village remove missing-nin?"

She nodded. "Yes. I want to make my parents and sensei proud. I also want to help protect them," Haku explained. "Do you think that people become strong when they protect their loved ones?"

The blonde jinchuriki cocked his head. What Haku was telling him was extremely familiar- it reminded him of when Kirisame was taunting him. When Sasuke and Sakura were mentioned, he snapped. His anger at the possibility of them being threatened enabled him to tap into the Kyuubi's power and defeat his opponent. They weren't his loved ones, far from it, but they were the closest thing he really had to a family aside from the Hokage and Umino Iruka.

Naruto took a breath before responding. "I don't know." Then he tilted his head. "I don't really have any loved ones. I have... people that are precious to me and I'll do anything to protect that bond." Sasuke, Tenten, Fuu, and possibly Nagato were precious to him. They saw him as himself.

Haku smiled. "We ninja use our power to its fullest when we are fighting to protect our bonds. These bonds give us purpose and happiness and so we can fight with meaning when we protect them. When we fight with this meaning, we can achieve our true strength. That is what I believe, at least."

Haku wasn't really a violent ninja. Despite her career choice and her aspirations, she did not like to kill and refrained from doing so if she could. Her sensei did reprimand her at times, but even he, savage as he was, could see the utility in her fighting style. Ninja could be interrogated if they weren't killed, after all.

"You're not trying to get me to spill anything, are you?" Naruto asked suspiciously, his stance changing into one of caution. He didn't see why Haku had suddenly asked him for his opinion on bonds and strength.

The Kiri kunoichi giggled and gave the blonde a warm smile. "No, I'm not. You should look up Kirigakure's history. I'm sure your sensei or the village library at Konoha has information regarding its past."

"The library?" Naruto dryly said, his eye twitching. "I hate the library, Haku-san."

Haku giggled again and bowed. "I must be going now, Naruto-san. I wish you luck on the exams. It was a pleasure meeting you." Haku then turned and walked off, leaving behind a blonde who yelled out a reciprocation to her wish.

The history of Kirigakure? Naruto wondered if he should take that at face value. Maybe Sakura would have that information. Maybe he could even find a brochure lying around somewhere, despite how unlikely such a thing would be.

Since the sun was obscured by the clouds in the sky, one could never really tell when the sun rose and when it fell. The amount of light in the village was usually enough to go by. When the village began to darken, Naruto grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed back to his hotel. The blonde mentally winced when he realized that he had ditched Sasuke and Sakura for most of the day.

When he entered his hotel room, he found Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura staring at him. The blonde gave them a tentative grin. "Am I late?"

Sasuke shook his head in amusement, Sakura growled in irritation, and Kakashi sent him a not-so-subtle thumbs up. "What? I didn't do anything wrong," Naruto said, folding his arms across his chest. Technically, he hadn't done anything wrong. He had followed the rules given to him. All he had done was split away from his teammates.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," Sakura bit out. "All you did was desert us and run around on your own in a foreign village."

"What's so bad about that?" Naruto replied, completely missing the point. Aside from running into Haku, he didn't think anything he had done was particularly bad. He probably even helped support Kiri with the amount of food he had bought. "My hair is bright blonde. I don't think I could do any espionage like that."

"Well, things can be blown out of proportion," Kakashi explained. "You _are_ better at being stealthy than Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto." Which was odd, considering his old choice of clothing. Then again, he did paint the Hokage monument without anyone finding out until he was nearly done. That had been quite amusing.

"In any case, the exams start tomorrow. You all saw saw that big building near the middle of the village, correct?" The three genin nodded. "Take a right at that place and enter that building. It's still large, but it's where the instructions for the first exam will be given. Once you enter that room for your first exam, I cannot give any more advice.

"So, be prepared for anything. I'm not sure what the first exam even is, so you're in the dark. Nonetheless, I expect you all to give your best effort. Remember," Kakashi said in a stern tone, "You will be representing Konoha. Give a good showing for your home village and for yourselves."

With that, Kakashi wished them good luck and left them. Sakura also departed, wishing to get a good night's sleep. Naruto and Sasuke flopped into their own beds soon afterward.

**VvVvV**

(Chunin Exam Building)

"So you don't know the history of Kirigakure?" Naruto whispered to Sakura. Team Seven was waiting in the large room of the building where the instructions of the first exam were to be given out. They were the only team from Konoha in the building at the moment, but there were quite a few Kiri teams waiting. The kunoichi Naruto had previously met was not present yet, however.

"No, I don't," Sakura responded in a hushed voice. Why would she know something like that? Sure, she could be a bookworm at times, but she didn't know everything. Most of the stuff she kept in her brain was pretty general- stuff that every ninja should at least know.

Naruto was dejected for a moment but then refocused himself. The anticipation of the first exam was bubbling within him; he couldn't wait until the exams began.

A team of Kumo-nin then entered, causing some of the Kiri teams to tense up. The team was comprised of a blonde kunoichi, a red-haired kunoichi, and a white-haired shinobi. All three of them carried swords on their backs and were eying the room carefully. The one with red hair appeared a bit taken aback when she glanced at Naruto.

"Whiskers!" a familiar voice said, breaking the silence of the room and making the slight tension vanish.

Naruto sighed at his nickname and turned in the direction of the voice. He saw Fuu hurrying to meet him with a wide smile on her face. "Hey, Fuu. I did tell you I would be here, didn't I?"

The two nearby shinobi each raised an eyebrow. This was the Uzumaki Naruto their teammate had told them about? Her nickname for him fit, at least. "You did, didn't you?" Fuu said, still smiling. "I would like to introduce you to my teammates."

The first male, Nobu, had dark brown hair, brown eyes, and white skin. The short, thin teen was wearing gray shinobi slacks, sandals, and a light blue overcoat with a fishnet shirt underneath. His forehead protector was tied around his neck. He greeted Naruto politely with a nod of his head.

The other teammate was a bit larger. Hiro was wearing a pale blue battle kimono with black shinobi sandals and a forehead protector tied in a bandana style around his black hair. His eyes scrutinized Naruto and rested on his whisker-marks for a moment before he too acknowledged the introduction.

Naruto, in turn, introduced his own teammates, much to their exasperation. Here they were in a tense environment with possibly hostile ninja, and Naruto was introducing them. Regardless, Sasuke and Sakura greeted Fuu and her teammates as well. As they were doing so, more genin teams walked into the exam room.

Although Naruto kept an eye out for any teams from Amegakure, he leaned towards Fuu in order to speak with her in hushed tones. "Do your teammates..." he trailed off, looking at her meaningfully. He didn't want Fuu to be taking the exam with people who couldn't give less than a damn about her.

Fuu nodded, keeping her voice down as well. "Yes. Shibuki sent them with me because of that. They're some of the few who have started to accept me." After Team Seven had left, the hostages she and Naruto had rescued had come to her aid, stating how she had helped them escape their captors.

Naruto subtly pumped his right fist. "See? I told you their opinions would change!"

Fuu nodded rapidly. "It's a really nice feeling when they do." The Nanabi jinchuriki had nearly broken down when cries of gratitude were sent towards her.

"What's a nice feeling?" Kiba loudly asked, walking into the large exam room. He whistled at the amount of people that were slowly showing up. The Inuzuka's eyes lingered on the Cloud shinobi before he stepped closer to Hinata.

Fuu's eyes flitted between Kiba and Naruto before she moved closer to Naruto. Her teammates gave Kiba a wary look as well. "Participating in the chunin exams," Naruto answered quickly, before Kiba could repeat his question.

If Kiba noticed the green-haired girl's slight movement, or her team's movement, he didn't mention anything about them. "Yeah, yeah. There's a lot of people here though... I doubt you'll get far, Naruto. I don't even think Sasuke could carry you far enough."

"Do you troublesome idiots have to try and cause a fight each time you talk?" Shikamaru said, entering the room with his own team. Ino, oddly enough, did not attempt to glomp Sasuke. Tenten and her teammates followed shortly afterward.

The blonde jinchuriki wanted to poke fun at Shikamaru's attitude, but refrained from doing so. Instead, he turned to Fuu. "Are you ready to be promoted to chunin?" he asked with a fierce grin. "I know I am."

Fuu gave him a grin of her own. "Of course I am. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

More and more teams filed in. While most were from Kirigakure, whenever a team from Kumo entered, many of the contestants tensed. Naruto wondered why many of the Kiri teams acted like that. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Kiba, Hinata, and Shino tense as well. Kumo didn't strike him as that dangerous or imposing; at least not moreso than other shinobi.

He also noticed the kunoichi from the day before enter as well. She didn't seem to notice him, but she walked in with her male teammates, both of which had shark-like teeth that glinted when they spoke. Haku's teammates also had swords strapped to their backs.

One other team caught Naruto's eye. A kunoichi with an Amegakure headband, glasses, and vibrant red hair entered with her teammates, one of which was wearing a gas mask. For some reason, her hair reminded him of Nagato, despite the slight difference in the coloring.

When the room was nearly filled up, a middle-aged man with blue hair and an eye-patch walked in. He had a teal robe on and talisman earrings. The man gave the room a cursory glance before clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. "My name is Ao and I would like to welcome all of the foreign teams to my home and village, Kirigakure no Sato.

"Welcome to the first part of Kiri's chunin exams. I will be your proctor for this particular session."

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><p><strong>AN: If you any questions, send me a PM or leave a review. I answer them to the best of my ability. If you spot any errors or contradictions, notify me as well, please.**

**EDIT 3/31/2014: Fixed an error with Darui's skillset in the beginning of the chapter.  
><strong>


	14. The Chunin Exams

**A/N: This is pretty long, I guess. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. How do you all like the exams I tweaked?  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

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><p>Chapter Fourteen: The Chunin Exams<p>

(Chunin Exam Building)

"Welcome to the first part of Kiri's chunin exams. I will be your proctor for this particular session." Ao looked over the many teams congregated in the room. Many were, obviously, from Kiri, but there were some from Ame, Konoha, Taki, and even Kumo.

Behind Ao, six chunin dressed in blue battle kimonos walked in. Each chunin had a clipboard with a list of names on it and a pencil. The chunin stood at attention as Ao began to speak. "Now then, remain quiet as I explain what's going to happen."

Ao gestured to the chunin standing behind him. "These chunin here each have a clipboard with a list of names. I want teammates to remain together as the chunin walk up and assign you a name." There was a sudden bustling in the room as teams came back together and waited for a chunin to approach.

Each chunin, all of which had a clipboard, walked up to a team and spoke with them for a moment before checking off and scribbling something down on the clipboard. One chunin walked up to Team Seven and cleared her throat. "Members, team name, and affiliation?" she asked in a stern voice.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura; Team Seven of Konohagakure no Sato," Sasuke answered clearly. He motioned to each person as he spoke their name. The chunin raised an eyebrow when Sasuke pointed at Naruto.

"Huh. Another Uzumaki? You got a cousin or something, blondie?" she asked. Uzumaki were supposed to have red hair, like that kunoichi from Amegakure she had spoken with earlier. Sasuke and Sakura gave Naruto odd looks as the blonde futilely looked around the room for his possible relative.

The chunin looked at Naruto much more carefully, trying to figure out whether or not he really was an Uzumaki. His chakra was certainly large, but that didn't really determine whether or not someone was an Uzumaki. The way his hair looked seemed vaguely familiar, though. "Anyway, remember this name: Toshiyuki Yori."

Sakura mouthed the name silently several times, committing it to memory. Sasuke did the same, as did Naruto. Then the chunin nodded at them, scribbled something down on her clipboard, and moved on to the next team of genin.

Once the names were assigned, the chunin returned to their previous position. Ao cleared his throat and began to speak again, "As you can see, each team was assigned a certain name. The person who carries that name is your target."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kiba asked, wondering where the proctor was going with that bit of information.

Ao sighed and muttered something under his breath. "Damn kids, interrupting me like that... Anyway, each of these people whose names were handed out are ranked as Kiri chunin. In their possession is a slip of paper stamped with the Mizukage's seal. In order to pass this exam, you must obtain a slip of paper with the Mizukage's seal and present it to me or one of the chunin standing behind me. We will remain in this room for your convenience.

"There is a time limit on this exam. You have eight hours to complete this assignment or else you will fail and not progress to the next part of the chunin exams. Are there any questions?" Ao asked, looking around the room with his single visible eye.

The red-haired girl Naruto saw earlier raised her hand. "Are there any other rules?"

"You cannot ask your teachers for help and any form of aggression seen on this part of the exam will not be tolerated. We don't want fights breaking out on the streets and potentially harming nearby civilians," Ao answered. "Any other questions? No? I wish you luck with your exams."

With that, the teams began to file out of the room in an orderly fashion that was facilitated by the chunin present. Once everyone was outside, Team Seven stood together to try and think of a plan. Most of the other teams had already left to find out more about their targets or to simply stay away from prying eyes and ears.

"So, Toshiyuki Yori... how should we start this?" Sakura asked. She had already seen various ninja jump away with purpose and wondered how she and her teammates should go about their assignment.

"We should probably ask around. We can't ask Kakashi-sensei for any help though," Sasuke replied. It wasn't as if Kakashi would know a particular Kiri chunin. Then he started walking forward, looking around for any ninja that looked like they would know something about the chunin Team Seven had been assigned to find.

"Did he say we couldn't use any jutsu?" Naruto questioned. He could simply send out shadow clones in droves for reconnaissance, but that could possibly be taken the wrong way. It would also reveal Naruto's ridiculous chakra capacity, something that he wanted to remain hidden.

"No, we just can't cause trouble. There was nothing mentioned about using jutsu," Sakura answered, her eyes widening.

"So we can't use our jutsu for fighting, but your clones will help. Send out three and then tell us when they dispel," Sasuke whispered. He didn't want anyone to listen in to them since that wasn't really restricted either.

Naruto nodded and discreetly formed a hand seal. Three solid clones popped into existence and set out, each having the orders of the original fresh in their mind. "Come on," Naruto said to his team, waving them over with his right hand. "Let's keep looking."

**VvVvV**

(With Team Eight)

Hinata, with her Byakugan active, scanned the area around her. She had been able to obtain a physical description of their target, which led Shino to send out specialized versions of his bugs that could retain memory for a short time. Each bug had the instruction of finding anything relating to Team Eight's given target.

Eventually, they did find the man, but he leapt away in a hurry. Team Eight wasn't sure if they had been spotted, since the chunin might have had other duties to complete while posing as a target for the exams. However, the chunin did leave behind a scent that Kiba and Akamaru were able to catch. With the scent, the two were able to narrow the search down to a district near the edge of Kiri.

Since the scent was particularly layered in the area, the Inuzuka and his partner could not track him quite as well, so Hinata had used her bloodline to find him. She did find him speaking with another man who seemed to be a chunin as well, at least in terms of appearance. When Kiba and Shino approached her, she whispered for them to stop for a moment.

Slowly and quietly, Team Eight moved into a position where all three could see the chunin without the use of Hinata's Byakugan. Shino, having found and memorized the Mizukage's seal (which had not been given out), saw that both men had the slip of paper with the seal and that the slips were hanging slightly out of their pockets.

Shino turned to Kiba and whispered in his ear, "Do you think you could grab the slip under cover?"

Kiba nodded. Even if the scent was somewhat muddled in the area, he could probably grab the slip if a smoke bomb was used. Throw a quick smoke bomb, quickly snatch the seal, and then quickly leave. It looked easy, in Kiba's eyes.

They were about to move, but the chunin their target was talking to suddenly jerked a thumb in their direction. Their target smirked for a moment before jumping onto a nearby rooftop and leaping away. Team Eight groaned to themselves as the chunin below laughed. "If you're going to track someone, learn to hide your presences better. Not every opponent is going to be alone in the field."

Kiba, still having the scent of the other chunin, growled to himself and left in pursuit. Shino and Hinata followed him, ignoring the chunin that had given their location away.

**VvVvV**

(With Team Seven)

Naruto blinked as the influx of information from his clone hit him. "I've got something," he stated, motioning his teammates over. They had been asking around for information regarding Toshiyuki Yori, but no one actually seemed to know anything about him. Well they might have, but the people Team Seven had been asking could have been withholding information.

"Got anything important?" Sasuke asked, walking over to where Naruto was standing. Sakura joined them shortly afterward.

"I have his place of residence and what he looks like," Naruto responded. Yori was a man of tall stature with black hair, fair skin, and a blue battle kimono that some Kiri chunin opted to wear. He wore his forehead protector as a bandana to cover his head. At least, that was what the clone had gathered. "There's one more thing though," Naruto continued.

"Right, place of residence," Sakura said. She raised an eyebrow when Naruto shook his head. "So you don't have his place of residence?"

"It's not that. Another group of genin were looking for him as well."

Sasuke and Sakura went silent for a moment while they digested what Naruto told them. Another team had their assigned target? Was there a mistake, or was it an intentional part of the first exam? "Another team... Do you think that it's intentional?" Sasuke asked.

"No one expected the exams to be easy," Naruto replied, a small grin appearing on his face. He seemed to relish the challenge. "If anything, it'll prove to everyone that rookies can pass a difficult exam too. Come on, let's head to where he lives. We might be able to find something there."

With Naruto leading them, Team Seven headed to the northern-most part of Kirigakure, where a rather mediocre-looking apartment was situated. Once they reached Yori's place of residence, Sasuke activated his Sharingan to check for any traps lying around in addition to making sure he didn't miss any crucial details.

There seemed to be no traps in the vicinity of the apartment, so Sasuke gestured his team over and went to a window. Luckily, it was unlocked, so Sasuke slid it open and entered the apartment. He told Naruto to keep an eye out with a small amount of clones. The blonde, although irritated, did as he was told; his clones were helpful in that way, after all.

Sakura was right behind Sasuke, her mind focused on scanning the apartment for the slip of paper bearing the Mizukage's seal. "Sakura, you know what the Mizukage's seal looks like, right?" Sakura nodded. "Good. I'm not sure if Naruto knows what it looks like, but his clones are better suited to watch out for us anyway." Sakura could see the logic in Sasuke's statement and went along with it.

The Uchiha kept looking throughout the apartment, but his Sharingan was picking up details that said that the apartment had been disturbed not too long ago. There were varying amounts of faint footprints on the floor that his Sharingan picked up. If there had been another team looking for Yori, then it was entirely possible they had been here beforehand, which would be why the window was carelessly unlocked.

Sasuke rummaged through a nearby desk that had papers strewn all over the wooden top. After rapidly looking through some papers, he found that they had barely-visible fingerprints. He swore. "Sakura, we're leaving. There's not going to be anything in here."

Sakura appeared from the other room that she had been searching, looking surprised. "Why, Sasuke-kun? It could still be in here. We haven't even searched the entire apartment."

Sasuke shook his head, appearing disgruntled. "There are nearly unnoticeable fingerprints on the papers on the desk, as well as footsteps on the floor. Parts of the carpet are indented with various sandal imprints, so a team's already been in here and searched the place. Plus, the window was unlocked. A chunin wouldn't just leave a window like that. Someone's beaten us here," he said, his voice dejected.

"Maybe they missed the paper that has the Mizukage's seal?" Sakura offered, not wanting to believe that someone else had beaten them to their ticket to passing the first exam. Sasuke again shook his head and headed outside to notify Naruto.

Naturally, the blonde had been worried. "What? Someone's already taken the slip?"

"Either that or it isn't in the apartment. Two or more genin teams might have been assigned to each chunin in order to reduce the amount of participants that could pass," Sasuke responded. The only thing they could do now is try to find the team that had beaten them to the punch or try to find their assigned chunin.

"Should we go for the enemy team or the chunin first?" Sakura asked, having seemingly read Sasuke's mind. The genin in Team Seven stood in the middle of the street for a moment before Naruto looked around and created three clones, sending one off to find the person that had given him his information earlier on in the day and then sending the other two to search for their chunin.

"Chunin first. One of my clones will get the information about the other team and the other two will scout out the area for the chunin we're looking for. Let's get going; it's been two hours so far and we don't want to waste too much time." Sasuke and Sakura accepted Naruto's answer, with the latter slightly surprised at how serious Naruto was being.

**VvVvV**

(With Team Ten)

For Team Ten, the first exam was not so difficult. With two members capable of immobilizing a target, Shikamaru could simply hold a chunin down while they searched his or her pockets, or have Ino jump into the chunin's mind and do it herself. Either way worked in the end.

The only problem was that Shikamaru found looking for information to be quite troublesome and the lazy genin only wanted to relax until time was up. He just wanted to go back home and take another look at a blue sky littered with white clouds. In Kirigakure, the sky was quite gloomy and the clouds much darker than the ones he liked.

Even if his team failed the first exam, no one could say that he didn't try. At least Shikamaru had listened to his mother and attempted the chunin exams. No one could fault him for that.

Unfortunately for Shikamaru and fortunately for Team Ten, Ino was more than enough motivation to make the males on her team actually do something. Well, her voice was. Shikamaru's mother would never let him hear the end of it if Ino decided to tell her what he wanted to do, too.

"Come on, Shikamaru. Maybe you should put some effort into this exam so that Ino won't use the Raiton jutsu on you," Chouji joked, causing Shikamaru's lazy slouch to immediately straighten up. His mother, fed up with how lazy he and his sensei were being, taught Ino a special Raiton jutsu that would properly... _motivate_ the two slackers when her voice wasn't enough.

Needless to say, Shikamaru and Asuma began to put more effort into their work.

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered. With Shikamaru actively asking people for information regarding their target, Ino was satisfied. Now all they had to do was find the chunin they were looking for, pin him down, and then take what they needed.

Ino briefly wondered if it was sane to be thinking that motivating a teammate to help in the chunin exams was more difficult than the exam itself.

**VvVvV**

(With Team Gai)

In a darkened alleyway, a Hyuuga branch member sealed the tenketsu of a chunin and then knocked him out. With his eccentric teammate keeping guard, no one could see what was going on. "Smart idea, right Neji?" Tenten said, smirking at her quiet teammate. "If they can't see us, then they can't pin it on us. This is too easy."

Neji didn't respond and activated his Byakugan, looking through the man's pockets for anything resembling the example stamp that Lee had picked up as a souvenir. After a moment, he reached into a pocket on the inside of the man's vest and pulled out the slip of paper required to pass the exam.

Tenten's face brightened and she straightened the chunin up; no need to just leave him in an uncomfortable position. That would be rude, especially since they just jumped and attacked him while he was minding his own business. Neji unsealed his tenketsu and then followed Tenten out of the alleyway.

"Yosh! Have my most youthful of comrades obtained the key necessary to our progression?" Lee boisterously said. The volume of his voice was bordering on shouting, causing Tenten and Neji to wince.

"Yeah Lee, we got it. Quiet down, will you?" Tenten muttered, rubbing her ears.

"Yosh, Tenten!" Lee said, with his voice again being nearly shouting. Tenten winced again; Lee really didn't know the meaning of being silent. Sure, he was fast, but a loud ninja didn't usually accomplish much.

At least they got the slip of paper with the Mizukage's seal stamped on it.

**VvVvV**

(With Team Seven)

"He should be in this area," Naruto said. He had led his team to an area in the western part of Kirigakure, where his clone had sighted their target. Luckily, Team Seven was already near their destination, and they hoped to find the chunin before he left his position.

Naruto's clone had also obtained information regarding the team that had beaten them to the man's apartment. Apparently, two of its members wore gas masks while the lone kunoichi of the group had striking red hair and bright red eyes. So, Team Seven's possible opponents were the ninja from Amegakure. Naruto had mentioned this to Sasuke and Sakura, both of which agreed to keep an eye out.

For the moment, Team Seven was leaping on the rooftops, searching for a ninja that matched Toshiyuki Yori's physical description. If they were lucky, then the other team wouldn't have already obtained the slip they needed to pass.

After a moment of searching, they found a chunin that matched the description of the one they were searching for. However, before Sakura could motion her teammates over to her, the man began to jump back to avoid senbon needles.

Sakura noticed that the senbon littering the ground were oozing a strange liquid, which probably meant they were poisoned. Lethal force would not be tolerated though, so it was likely that the poison was only meant to incapacitate.

A kunoichi with red hair appeared, signifying that it was a member of the opposing team. She was wearing a tan jacket with a fishnet shirt underneath, as well as black shinobi shorts. Naruto and Sasuke moved to intervene, but Sakura held them back.

"We can't do anything! Aggression will be punished, remember?" she hissed, reminding them of the restrictions between genin confrontations.

"But that's our target!" Naruto argued, his expression angry. They could always swoop in and take the slip for themselves, but it would be dangerous with the poisoned needles being thrown.

"We're not going to be able to get it back," Sasuke said, causing Naruto and Sakura to return their attention to the ongoing battle. The chunin was herded into an enclosed area when another barrage of senbon appeared, most of which nailed him in the upper torso. Yori slumped to the ground, his jaw clenched in pain.

One of the ninja from Amegakure appeared from the shadows and quickly tied the weakened chunin up. Yori's pockets were searched and a slip was brought out. The redhead nodded, having completed her mission. Then she turned to where Team Seven was hiding and stuck her tongue out at them before jumping onto a rooftop and leaping away from the other three, now-surprised genin.

"Shit!" Naruto yelled, not caring about whether or not anyone heard him at that point. They had just lost their chance at passing the exam to a team from Amegakure. "What do we do now? We can't exactly force the team from Amegakure to give us that slip."

"We could if no one saw us," Sasuke reasoned, even though he did know that such a prospect would be extremely difficult. Against chunin it would have been three against one. A team of genin against another team of genin had a good chance of turning ugly, especially if any one of the genin didn't show restraint.

"Maybe we could ask the chunin down there. We still have a few hours left," Sakura suggested, glancing at the chunin that was currently situated against a wall. Yori was tied up and was not out cold from the poison that had been slathered on the needles sticking out of his side.

"That's as good an idea as any," Sasuke tiredly said. The first exam was not going the way he wanted it to go. He jumped down to where the chunin was and pulled the needles out of his flesh, flinging them to the ground as he did so. Sasuke slapped the chunin lightly, trying to get him to wake up.

No such luck. "He's out cold," Naruto observed, jumping down with Sakura. His teammates glared at him for stating the obvious. Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "Well, he is. Should we just wait for him to wake up?"

"Wait, let me try something." Sasuke and Naruto backed away from Sakura as she flipped through a set of seals, causing a ball of water to appear in front of her chest. She maneuvered the ball directly above the chunin's head and then released her concentration on it, allowing it to burst and douse Yori. With a sputter, the man woke up, eying his surroundings carefully.

Sasuke whistled. "So you were studying up on Suiton jutsu? Not bad Sakura." Sakura blushed at the praise Sasuke gave her, but kept her attention on the confused chunin in front of her.

"Where am I?" Yori asked, his deep voice slightly slurring. The man tried to struggle out of his bindings, but started to pant from the exertion. His body hadn't quite metabolized the poison yet.

Naruto shrugged at the man's question. "Somewhere in Kirigakure. I don't really know which part of the village we're at, but we saw you get taken down by that redhead and her senbon."

Realization dawned on Yori's face. "Ah, I see. Since you three are here, I assume you want my slip, correct?" All three of the genin in front of him looked away. "So it was taken by that other team already, then?"

"Yep," Sasuke answered. "Is there any other way to progress? We're not going to take this lying down."

"Even though we're rookies, we'll still pass. There has to be some way to do so," Naruto added, his voice sounding hopeful.

Yori snorted. "My slip has already been taken from me, so my role is complete. However, I suggest reevaluating what the examiner told you three. Now then, since I've been so kind as to give you additional information, would you loosen this wire and let me go?"

Sasuke and Naruto both leaned down and loosened the wire around Yori's body until he was able to stand up. The man still seemed to be lethargic from the poison given how he was leaning heavily on the nearby wall. "Are you going to be all right, Yori-san?" Sakura worriedly asked. She didn't want her team to be blamed for crippling a Kiri chunin.

"I will be fine, genin-san," Yori responded, giving the pink-haired kunoichi a smile. "I am thankful for your concern, but we chunin did anticipate such things happening. It kind of comes with the role we were selected to play." The man reached into his pockets and took out a pill before popping it into his mouth. He sighed in relief, happy that none of his supplies had been stolen. "Now, off with you." The man hobbled out of sight, leaving three Konoha genin behind.

"So, reevaluating what the proctor told us... what was his name again?" Naruto questioned with a tilt of his head. The proctor technically only said his name once and the chunin that had accompanied him didn't even introduce themselves.

"Do you have lapses in attention or something?" Sasuke asked Naruto, raising his eyebrow. "His name is Ao, but that's not a big deal. You remember what he told us, right?" Naruto and Sakura nodded. "There must be something that Ao-san said that we're overlooking; something that gives us a way to pass without having to go after another chunin or another team."

Naruto snapped his fingers, suddenly realizing something strange about Ao's speech. "Sasuke, Sakura, you remember when Ao-san was speaking about the slips of paper with the Mizukage's seal, right? Well, did he ever say we specifically needed the one from the chunin we were assigned to look for?"

"No, he never said that," Sakura answered, a small smile appearing on her face. "He just said we needed a slip stamped with the Mizukage's seal."

Sasuke smirked. "So now we just need a piece of paper with the Mizukage's seal on it. Think it has to be in official ink?"

"It wouldn't hurt to be prepared," Naruto replied. "Come on, let's head to the Mizukage's Tower." The blonde started walking in a random direction before he stopped and turned around. "Do you guys know where the Mizukage's Tower is, by any chance?"

Sasuke and Sakura both palmed their faces in exasperation.

**VvVvV**

(Mizukage's Tower)

A woman with green eyes and long, auburn hair was sitting at the receptionist desk that helped manage the Mizukage's duties. Having a woman with two kekkei genkei as Yagura's secretary had also helped him enforce his acceptance of people with bloodline limits.

The woman was reading through some documents, determining which ones to scrap and which ones to send to her Mizukage. The man was likely not even in his office and probably walking about his village, leaving her with the paperwork. It wasn't really a big deal, but sometimes the work piled up.

She suddenly heard the twin doors leading into the tower open. She looked up from the paper she was reading and saw three young ninja enter the building. All three of them had hopeful expressions on their faces. "Yes?" the woman asked. "What do you three Konoha ninja need?" Their forehead protectors hadn't escaped her notice.

That wasn't particularly surprising to them, though. "Do you have a stamp with the Mizukage's seal on it?" Naruto asked. Terumi Mei looked at Naruto closely, his visage reminding her of someone.

"I might," she responded. "But why are you asking? Shouldn't you three be participating in the exams? I believe it ends in an hour." That only served to make the three genin in front of her appear nervous.

"We want a slip of paper with the Mizukage's seal stamped in official ink," Sasuke said bluntly. With only an hour left, he just wanted to see if they could grab the thing and then leave.

Mei raised a demure eyebrow. "Oh? Do you think it would enable you to pass?"

"Ao-san just said he wanted a slip of paper with the seal stamped on it," Naruto explained. "The slip we were assigned to retrieve has already been taken."

Mei again observed Naruto, making him fidget under her intense gaze. "What is your name?" she asked him. There was something about him that was tugging at her memory. It felt like an animal she was about to catch, yet couldn't since it would keep bounding away.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at Naruto, who shrugged in confusion at why he was being asked his name. "Uh, my name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"An Uzumaki? Huh, I thought they were supposed to have red hair," Mei mused. An Uzumaki with that kind of blonde hair?

"This is neat and all, but we kind of need that slip," Sasuke pressed. "Could you give us a slip with the official stamp or not?" He wasn't normally impatient, but time was running out.

Mei put her chin in her hand and leaned over her desk in a bored fashion. She would answer the boy in blue after she recalled the memory that she was on the cusp of recalling. Maybe the genin could jolt her mind. "You three are from Konoha, correct?"

Sasuke's jaw dropped, but Sakura answered anyway. "Yes, we're from Konohagakure no Sato, miss."

"Who are Naruto's parents?" she asked. Sasuke's eye began to twitch. Sakura was rather confused at the moment..

"I'm an orphan," Naruto said, not understanding why he was being questioned or why this lady was interested in him. "Never knew my parents. They died when I was born."

Mei again stared at Naruto with that gaze of hers. His hair seemed familiar, but his whisker-marks didn't make sense. They weren't Inuzuka, since he was an Uzumaki, but Uzumaki didn't have whisker-marks such as those. "How old are you three?" she asked.

This time Sasuke grabbed his hair and was forcefully repressed from shouting in frustration when Sakura's hand clapped over his mouth. Usually, she would squeal at being in such close proximity with her crush, but she didn't want to be thrown out by his annoyed outburst. "Sasuke-kun and I are thirteen. Naruto is twelve."

_Oh. _Oh_. How interesting_, Mei thought, just barely repressing a sly smile. That could be the reason for the large reserves she could feel from Naruto. That hair also gave her a reason to believe who his father might be, given the uncanny similarity. "You know, you look like the Yondaime Hokage," she mused, smirking at Naruto's befuddled expression.

"Err... what?" Naruto dumbly replied. He'd never clearly seen a photo of the Yondaime Hokage. Most of the ones he had seen were just shadowy outlines.

"You look like a younger version of the Yondaime Hokage," Mei elaborated. "Your eyes and hair especially." Naruto looked at his teammates; Sakura raised an eyebrow, but Sasuke was still fuming. "You know what, I think I will give you a stamped slip of paper." Mei took out a blank sheet of paper, tore it in half, and then stamped it. She handed the paper to Sasuke, who held onto it like it was a lifeline.

"Just like that?" Sakura asked, a bit dumb-founded that this secretarial woman had given them their ticket to passing the first exam.

Mei eye-smiled at them. "You're the only team that's come up to me and asked. I'm going to assume other teams took the proctor's speech as a way to let them steal their slips of paper from enemy teams, but you three interpreted it differently and came here. I find that to be interesting."

"That's it?" Sasuke said, finally losing his irritation. "You're just interested in us?"

"Is that a problem?" Mei asked, giving Sasuke a dangerous look. He gulped and shook his head.

"We don't even know who you are, secretary lady," Naruto interjected, stopping Mei from turning Sasuke into a quivering mess.

"My name is Terumi Mei," she introduced with a smile. "And you three should count yourselves lucky that I was in a good mood. Remember, it was all up to me whether or not you three could pass, so you better do well in the next exam. I don't want my kindness to go to waste, you know."

All three of them bowed rapidly, muttering "thank you, Mei-sama", before turning tail and running out of the building. Mei's amused laughter followed them all the way out.

**VvVvV**

(Chunin Exam Building)

Luckily, Team Seven had managed to make it to the building with forty-five minutes to spare. They handed their slip to a chunin, who had to bring Ao over to make sure it was authentic. After a moment, Ao whispered something in the chunin's ear before returning to his previous position.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura looked at the chunin in front of them, waiting to see if the slip would be accepted. The chunin put the paper with the Mizugake's seal into a pocket and then pulled out a scroll with the kanji for 'pass' on it. He handed the scroll to Sasuke, who pocketed it. The chunin then instructed them to wait until time was up.

All three genin sighed in relief at passing the first exam. Then they looked around the room to see who else had passed. There were much less genin than before, which meant that quite a few teams had already either dropped out or failed to complete their task.

Naruto spotted the team from Amegakure chatting to each other at the opposite side of the room. The redhead seemed to notice him glaring at her and stuck her tongue out at him, _again_. Sasuke turned his head over to Naruto when he heard a grinding noise.

"You know, if you gnash your teeth like that, you'll wear them down." Sasuke smirked at Naruto's irritated growl.

"Wow, I didn't think you guys would pass," someone said. Team Seven saw Tenten and her team make their way over to them. "You really did take a while to get here."

Naruto grinned at Tenten. "Can I say I told you so yet?"

Tenten snorted. "Nope. You haven't beaten me yet, remember?" Naruto frowned. At least he and his team had passed. "You're the last rookie team here, too. That's not that big of an accomplishment."

"You're kidding me," Naruto muttered, hanging his head. His other comrades had beaten him to the building? Was his team the only one that had had bad luck in the exam?

"Nope," Tenten replied cheerfully. "You did beat out the two other teams that weren't rookies, though."

"Good for us," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. "It doesn't matter. We're here, we passed, we're going to keep going. A pass is a pass anyway."

"Your mindset is most youthful, Sasuke-san," Lee said, his voice not quite as loud as when they had first met him. "We shall pass the chunin exams and become chunin! I do wish to prove myself against you."

"Against me?" Sasuke questioned. Then he smiled. "I'll be happy to take you up on that, Lee." In response to that, Lee gave Sasuke a thumbs up and smiled, his teeth shining as he did so. The Uchiha edged away from the most eccentric genin of Team Gai.

"Why him, though? I'm just as strong as Sasuke-teme," Naruto said, frowning. He wasn't going to kick and scream about it, but he didn't want people to overlook him.

"Sasuke-san is a genius, Naruto-san," Lee explained. "I am not. I wish to see if my hard work can defeat pure genius!"

"You know, genius needs work to keep up too," Sasuke muttered, but Lee ignored him. Now he was annoyed. Sure, being a genius meant you picked things up faster than most, but it didn't mean you got everything you wanted without practice. If you never put in the time, how would you get stronger, even if you were a genius?

Neji was about to say something, but Naruto spied Fuu and her team at the other end of the room. He grinned and went over to speak with them, completely ignoring Neji's slightly open mouth. The Hyuuga grunted when Naruto vanished.

Just as Naruto left, Team Eight and Ten joined Team Seven and Team Gai. Kiba grinned at them all. "Looks like we all passed, eh? Here I thought Naruto would... where'd he go?" Kiba looked around in confusion.

"You missed that troublesome blonde," Shikamaru lazily supplied. His effort was spent for the day, so Ino couldn't whine at him anymore. They dropped their slip off and got a scroll, anyway. "He left to go speak with someone else."

"Speak with someone else? Who else is he going to speak with?" Kiba asked in confusion. They were in a neutral nation; surely Naruto wasn't getting all buddy-buddy with someone already.

"He's speaking with a girl from Taki," Sasuke elaborated, having seen where Naruto had been heading. "We met her when we went to Takigakure a few weeks ago."

"You guys went to another Hidden Village?" Kiba asked, looking around for Naruto and the girl he was speaking to. "How?"

"It is likely they were assigned a mission to another village, Kiba," Shino answered, speaking in a monotone. Kiba snorted at Shino's answer.

Sakura put her hands on her hips. "What, don't believe us?" The other teams had to believe Team Seven since Naruto wouldn't be able to speak with the green-haired kunoichi if they were lying.

Then Ino spoke up. "I would've believed you if it wasn't for Naruto. Who else would be dumb enough to approach random ninja and start speaking to them?" The Yamanaka heir didn't notice it, but Hinata was glaring at her. Although, Ino technically would be right.

"Well... he's much stronger than before," Sakura hesitantly said. Everyone stared at her in disbelief. It was only right that a teammate come to another teammate's defense, but was Sakura really defending Naruto?

Tenten smirked at her. "Well then, he'll have to prove that, won't he?" The weapon-using kunoichi did want an actual rematch with Naruto, but she also wanted to seriously fight Sasuke too.

"It won't matter in the end," Neji said, joining the conversation. "I have asked Gai-sensei about his history in the academy. He is a dead-last with no clan or bloodline. He is fated to fail. His teammates can only carry him so far."

Sasuke shook his head at Neji. "Fate? Leave the philosophical discussions for the people who care about them." He glanced at Sakura, knowing what she was thinking. While Naruto did have a clan, the rest of the Konoha genin except for perhaps Tenten did not know about it. The Uzumaki Clan was essentially extinct as well.

Neji remained stoic as he gazed at Sasuke. He didn't respond to the Uchiha, but fate was always correct. It was his destiny to exact revenge for his father and surpass the heiress. Why else would the ninja from Kumogakure be at the exam?

"Whoa, we're all here? What's going on?" Naruto walked up to them, his hands on the back of his head and a cheerful smile on his face. He saw Neji snort and turn away as everyone turned their attention to him. "So you guys passed too?" Naruto asked, referring to Team Eight and Team Ten.

"Yeah... troublesome woman made us. I just want a nap now," Shikamaru said, giving Ino a withering glare while Chouji snickered.

Naruto chuckled at that and turned to Team Eight. "You guys passed too?"

"Of course we did," Kiba responded with a grin. "Only you would pass last, anyway."

"Yeah, you'll eat your words when we pass the next exam and you don't," Naruto said. Then he smirked at Kiba's skeptical expression.

Kiba shook his head in amusement. "We'll just have to see, won't we?" Both boys became silent as they ended their friendly verbal jabs.

Finally, after an additional ten minutes, Ao cleared his throat, causing all of the genin to give him their undivided attention. "Attention! As of now, all of you have passed the first part of the chunin exams hosted by Kirigakure." There were quite a few sighs of relief throughout the room, even though most of the genin already knew that they had definitely passed. "Now, I'm sure most of you had either an easy time or a hard time regarding the chunin you were tasked to find."

Murmuring sprang up in the room with the genin voicing their assent. Some genin were a bit louder, remarking on difficult some of their targets had been, or how annoying some had been.

"Back in my day, we had more respect for our examiners..." Ao muttered. Then he continued, "Yes. This first exam was a reconnaissance, take-down, and interrogation simulation. You were given a name and then told to find a slip of paper with the Mizukage's seal on it. Each chunin had two teams assigned to him or her. For shinobi, finding information is paramount and because of this, some bits of information will have more than one village vying for their retrieval.

"Restrictions from fighting were forced in order to make sure you were silent and discrete. Finding information is one thing, but getting to it is another. Not every slip of paper was easy to get. Some chunin were more alert than others and some didn't even have it on their body. If you were too slow, you missed your chance. If you missed your chance, well... you shouldn't be here." Team Seven looked a bit sheepish at this since they had obtained their ticket to passing through unconventional means, but nobody really noticed.

"Many genin had also been observed incapacitating their target and then interrogating them. That too is what shinobi can do, but more often than not, an enemy will not divulge their village secrets without proper motivation-" Which meant torture, "-Some of the genin blackmailed their assigned chunin, which is also very acceptable. We are shinobi and thus, are not honorable. If you want honor, go seek a different profession.

"All of the genin that are present at the moment have demonstrated enough prowess to be regarded as chunin, at least in the minimum capacity required of information gathering and extraction. I think this exam was too easy, but you should all congratulate yourselves anyway. The proctor for the second exam will be here in a moment," Ao finished, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Wait," Ino said, raising her hand up in the air. "Don't we get a rest or something?"

Ao sighed to himself. Damned brats never knew how difficult things were back in his day. "Life isn't easy, little girl. Sometimes, as a shinobi, you will be forced to carry out grueling missions without rest."

Ino hung her head as Chouji patted her shoulder. She had wanted to rest a bit and boast to her sensei about how her team had passed the first portion of the exams, but it seemed as if that would have to wait.

And then a man in a flak-jacket with a tanned shirt and gray pants walked in. The first thing everybody noticed was that the man was _massive_, as in tall. Really, really tall.

The second thing the ninja noticed was that his skin looked rather blue. His small, beady eyes crinkled in amusement as a smile lined with shark-like teeth appeared on his face on his face. On his back was a bandaged sword that looked nearly as massive as himself.

The man gave the genin in the room a sadistic, toothy grin. This was Hoshigaki Kisame, successor of Suikazan Fuguki. "Hey, brats! You all ready to head to the next part of the exam?"

Everyone stared. All of the Kiri and Kumo shinobi, as well as a few other teams of genin knew who the proctor was. Naruto, however, didn't. "So I get that you're the next examiner," Naruto began without preamble, "but who are you?"

"You don't know who I am, brat? I'm hurt."

"Those small eyes of yours aren't enough to catch my affiliation?" Naruto asked, tapping his forehead protector. Sakura noticed that quite a few Kiri ninja were staring at Naruto with a mixture of fear, anger, and awe.

This time Kisame waded through the pool of genin, although most removed themselves from his path. The tall shark-man went right up to Naruto and glared directly down at him. The blonde boy looked right back at the man, not even flinching as he did so.

Sakura realized that her body was slightly trembling from the killing intent the man was levering at Naruto. Shockingly enough, the blonde was smirking right back at the man. After a few seconds of level staring, the man grinned. "I like you, brat. What's your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto replied, returning Kisame's grin. In the other corner of the room, a red-haired girl with red eyes frowned as she watched the spectacle. In a different part of the room, a team of Kumo ninja exchanged glances.

"Well then, Fishcakes-brat, I'm Hoshigaki Kisame, the proctor for the second exam. You all ready to head to where the next exam takes place?" Then he paused for a moment. "Well, I suppose I should explain the rules in order to appease the cranky old man behind me."

Kisame chuckled as Ao palmed his face, muttering about respect. "All right brats, we're heading to a special place outside of Kiri where it's completely possible to get gutted by animals. It's an enclosure the Mizukage himself made, so you should all probably kiss the ground before you enter it.

"Once we approach the area, each team will be taken by a waiting chunin and led to a gate. When the signal is given, the gate will open and you'll enter the enclosure. Don't interrupt me or I'll shave your legs off; I'm not done speaking yet.

"Each team was given a scroll with 'pass' inscribed on it. In order to pass the next exam, you must obtain at least two scrolls. However, if you only obtain two scrolls, only two members of your team may continue onward. Three scrolls mean your entire team can continue while one scroll means you all fail. If you do end up with two scrolls, you must select amongst yourselves which genin does not continue.

"Once you all enter the enclosure, you will be allowed to hunt and take scrolls from other teams. Be warned, brats: killing is completely permitted, although not encouraged. Not many chunin want to clean up your dead body from the rocky ground and I'm sure you can all tell why. Nasty work, eh?

"When you obtain your two or three scrolls, find one of the many crabs littering the enclosure and channel chakra into one. No, that doesn't mean blow it up. If you channel chakra into a crab, it will allow us to find your position and retrieve your team. We will then escort your team to the waiting area. In addition, if a member of your team is hurt or killed and you cannot continue, do the same thing and we'll pick your sorry asses up. Your entire team must be alive in order to continue, by the way.

"If anyone attempts to steal a scroll before you enter the enclosure, I will know. Trust me on this: if you do not want to know how it feels to have your arms and legs shaved off by a giant sword, do not attempt to steal a scroll before entering the enclosure."

Kisame waited for everyone to react. No one did. He frowned. "What's wrong with you all? Shouldn't you be happy that your teachers are allowing you to enter an area where you might die?"

Silence. Even Naruto held his tongue.

"Well, most of you are still brats. Anyway, follow me." Kisame turned on his heel and exited the room, with the genin silently following.

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><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: And that's it for the first exam. I can't help but feel it's too easy.  
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**Three genin acting as a team facing off against one chunin? Naruto beat Mizuki extremely early in the manga and the anime doesn't really make the chunin out to be overly powerful to genin.**

**As for the slips of paper... the slips they needed to get could have been in a special type of paper. The one Team Seven got wasn't. It was on plain paper, which is why the chunin grabbed Ao.**

**R/R, please. I sincerely hope there are no contradictions. If there are, please PM me or leave a review. I _hate_ having gaping errors and plot holes.**


	15. The Spiteful Swamp

**A/N: Next chapter. I have the finalists are ironed out. I hope this isn't too bad. And yes, Haku and Nagato are similar. That was... my own fault, I guess. The difference is marginal, though.  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

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><p>Chapter Fifteen: The Spiteful Swamp<p>

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura carefully picked their way through their foggy surroundings. Once Kisame had led them to the enclosure, he had given the genin a time limit. The genin had three days to collect their required passes. Once the three days were up, the proctor and his lackeys would find and extract remaining genin from the enclosure.

Kisame hadn't decided to let them gather supplies and water. Instead, he told them that there were quite a few bodies of freshwater around the area that had edible fish in them. Chunin were supposed to have good survivalist skills. Either that, or he took pleasure in watching little genin squirm.

Naruto had also been yelled at by the Konoha genin once they left the building they were in. Apparently, antagonizing a proctor wasn't something he was supposed to do. Nonetheless, the genin settled down once they reached the outskirts of the Spiteful Swamp. Each team was led by two chunin to a gate. When the signal was seen, the gates opened, and the teams rushed in.

When Team Seven had first entered the enclosure, they decided to move slowly and observe their surroundings. They were in a completely foreign area, after all. There was much fog in the Spiteful Swamp, resulting in reduced visibility. The soil and grass were wet, with thin and thick trees sprouting up every few yards. Pockets of muddy water popped up every now and then as well.

Naruto had his gauntlets on, Sasuke was watching his surroundings carefully, and Sakura was keeping her body tense, alert. The reduced visibility would serve well for ambushes. "Should we pick up our speed?" Sasuke asked in a whisper.

"I don't want to be ambushed, but we're not going to find many people by moving this slow," Naruto replied, flexing his hands every few seconds. He was getting pretty antsy from being in the enclosure, especially with the threat of combat looming everywhere.

"We have three days," Sakura said, adding her own voice in. "This place is big, but a lot of teams passed the first exam. All of them will be looking for us as well, so we might find someone fairly soon anyway."

Sasuke turned to Naruto, an idea having taken root in his head. "Naruto, do you think you could blow this fog away?"

Naruto appeared thoughtful for a moment. There were advantages and disadvantages to doing so, but with the increased visibility and the ridiculous amount of chakra Naruto could generate, any nearby team would be drawn to their location like children to a candy shop. "I could, but do you think we can handle letting our position being known?"

"There are a lot of genin participating in this portion of the exam," Sakura muttered again. "Can we really deal with so many coming to investigate?"

Naruto frowned for a moment. The disadvantage of being found could technically be remedied if he evenly split his chakra with another clone and then sent the clone off to use a Great Breakthrough. "What if I split my chakra with a single shadow clone and send it off?"

"Could you do that?" Sasuke asked, turning to glance at Naruto. He and Sakura were well-aware of how Naruto's shadow clones worked as well as why it was considered a forbidden jutsu. Naruto's chakra capacity enabled the clones he created to completely form and function properly. If Sasuke or Sakura attempted to use the jutsu, their chakra would dwindle to the point where it wouldn't be able to keep their bodies alive.

Halving Naruto's chakra wasn't a big deal at all. It was more to give the clone he would be sending off enough chakra to generate a Fuuton jutsu powerful enough to remove the fog that was hugging part of the swamp. There was no way the clone would be able to remove all of the fog, but it could at least displace a large amount of it.

"Of course he could," Sakura easily said. "I think we should hide once the jutsu is used, though. I can use an illusion to hide us so we can ambush anyone coming to check the area out."

"So let's do it," Naruto said, grinning widely. He formed the cross seal necessary to form a solid clone and split his chakra evenly. With the mental orders set, the clone headed off into the fog. Team Seven followed and made sure to keep their distance.

Then they felt the buildup of chakra. Naruto didn't really feel much, but Sasuke and Sakura were again amazed by the amount that Naruto could draw upon and use. Sasuke knew the reason why this was so, but it was still impressive.

The chakra kept rising until a great rush of wind was heard. Each member of Team Seven flinched slightly as loud cracks and snaps were heard. There was even a loud crash as something harshly hit the ground. All three genin watched as the fog obscuring part of the swamp vanished, revealing an environment they didn't know existed.

The muddy, damp ground was littered with debris and wood. Several trees in the vicinity of the Great Breakthrough had much of their branches ripped off, with some trees being slightly displaced from their original positions. One tree had been completely unearthed and had collapsed onto the soil.

Sakura peered down at the area. "Whoa..." she whispered in awe before forming a ram hand seal and hiding Team Seven from view. All three of them remained still and began to wait. Genin with the needed scrolls would eventually appear in an attempt to figure out what happened.

**VvVvV**

(With Team Gai)

"Neji, wait up!" Tenten called in an attempt to stop her teammate from running off. He seemed to have his own agenda, one that was fueled by vengeance on the village that had taken his father from him.

The Hyuuga in question began to speed up and was on the verge of leaving his teammates behind. "Fate has dictated that this exam will be their last," Neji muttered, although his nearby teammates heard him. Tenten and Lee exchanged glances before increasing their own speed in an attempt to keep up with the Hyuuga prodigy.

Eventually, as they were rushing through the swamp, Neji triggered an unseen wire in his zealous search for any Kumo-nin. There was a twang and then kunai began firing from the shadows causing Tenten, Lee, and Neji to jump away and twist in the air.

Having avoided the kunai, the three genin landed on the ground and observed their surroundings. Neji activated his Byakugan, his body tensing as he did so. He turned his head to the right and smirked. "I know you are there. Reveal yourself, you can't hide from my eyes."

In response, a kunai with an explosive tag shot out at Neji. The Hyuuga threw his own kunai and deflected it, causing the explosion to go off at a safe distance. Rather than allow his opponent to attack again, Neji blurred forward into the shadows.

A Kiri-nin with spiky black hair rose up from a nearby puddle and went through a series of hand seals. Then he expelled a ball of water at Lee, who vanished from his view. While wondering what happened, a foot crashed down on top of the ninja's head, causing his world to go dark.

Tenten would've laughed at how easily the Kiri-nin went down, but she was engaged in combat with a kunoichi that had dark, sleek hair and green eyes. The kunoichi's long sleeves partially obscured the two daggers she was using to swipe at Tenten. The bun-haired girl was frantically avoiding the strikes until Lee came up and knocked her opponent out.

Tenten sighed in relief. That kunoichi had been too close and had stopped her from unsealing a sword or a volley of kunai in defense. The speed she had obtained from training with her sensei, as well as her natural flexibility, had thankfully allowed her to avoid injury.

Neji walked out from the shadows with a Kiri-nin that looked similar to Lee's opponent over his shoulder. He dumped the unconscious genin onto the ground and threw a scroll to Tenten. "I have their scroll. We need one more."

Tenten and Lee nodded. However, both of them knew that as they kept running through the Spiteful Swamp, the possibility of finding a Kumo-nin would increase. Consequently, Neji's behavior could become more erratic at the thought of exacting his vengeance. They both knew why he wanted vengeance, but it was still worrisome to watch their friend behave in such a way.

At least his focus had shifted since they had obtained what they really needed.

Before Team Gai could take off, there was a loud _whoosh_ and a series of crashes. They turned their heads in the direction of the chaos. Thankfully, the fog wasn't completely hiding whatever was in the distance, so they could see the large cloud of debris settling. Whatever jutsu had been used had blown away much of that fog.

Neji started to walk in a different direction. "Let's skirt around and ambush any unsuspecting teams." Tenten and Lee nodded, both seeing the logic in the pale-eyed boy's plan.

**VvVvV**

(With Team Eight)

Hinata was scared. Barely recognizable, yet still comprehensible memories were floating around in her mind, reminding her of when she had almost been spirited away from her home and taken to a foreign village. A ways away stood three ninja from Kumo, each with their swords drawn and a neutral expression painted on their faces.

While they had been jumping through some of the thicker trees, Shino had alerted them that a team of ninja was nearby and quickly closing in. The Kumo genin had appeared, swords drawn, and had brought with them the complete certainty of battle.

Shino and Kiba had both been told about Hinata's past experience with Kumo as a precaution due to the village's attendance and both ninja were extremely protective of her. She was their teammate and the ninja from Kumo were threats. Neither Shino nor Kiba doubted Hinata's ability to effectively fight, but they wanted to help her, especially since the Kumo-nin were sure to make her doubt herself.

Kiba glanced at Hinata and saw that she was trembling. He and his partner growled at their enemies, all three of which appeared unfazed. Getting growled at by a small dog would appear adorable instead of ferocious for most people.

Rather than wait for the tension to increase, the blonde kunoichi opted to place Kiba and Akamaru under a genjutsu. The one with white hair jumped forward to engage Shino and the dark-skinned kunoichi with red hair targeted Hinata and hopped forward.

Kiba's vision was obscured by clouds. He couldn't see anything at all, not even Akamaru who had previously been tucked inside his furry jacket. He could still hear footsteps thump the ground, so he concluded that he had been placed under a visual genjutsu in order to reduce his options in the battle.

Fortunately, Inuzuka did not always rely on their eyes. Their noses and ears were much better than the average ninja, which was why they made such excellent trackers and hunter-nin. Instead of paying attention to his surroundings via eyesight, Kiba focused his ears and nose. Luckily, the Kumo ninja who was attacking him had a distinctive scent.

It was Kiba's nose and ears that allowed him to sidestep the thrust of a sword and then catch the kick sent at his midsection. With a grunt of exertion, Kiba violently pushed the leg back, sending its owner flying away from him. The genjutsu around him shattered when his arms were painfully throbbing, giving him his vision back.

He looked down and saw Akamaru back in his position, although the puppy's eyes were unseeing. Kiba jolted the small puppy with a burst of chakra, freeing him from the genjutsu. Glancing to his sides, Kiba saw a swarm of bugs trying to latch onto the white-haired Kumo-nin and saw Hinata attempting to incapacitate the red-haired girl.

Returning his attention to the blonde kunoichi, Kiba clenched his jaw. She was already back on her feet with her short sword held in a reverse grip. "All we want is your scroll," the blonde blandly stated. The Inuzuka snorted. A team of Kumo-nin had targeted a genin team with an unmarked Hyuuga on it because of a scroll? Yeah, right.

Kiba couldn't really do anything. Engaging a sword-user in a taijutsu match wasn't the smartest thing he could do. Inuzuka were extremely specialized, as Kiba could attest. His speed and power, as well as teamwork with Akamaru were well-developed. It was because of that that he didn't have any long-range jutsu to use. Shino was more often than not the one who used long-range jutsu.

The blonde kunoichi darted forward with a stab since her opponent was just staring her down. As she neared him, Kiba backpedaled to avoid the attack and attempted to get closer to the swarm of insects.

She had accounted for that. The Inuzuka could not face her in close combat without sustaining heavy injuries, so his best option would be to lure her towards the Aburame's insects.

If her opponent was going to play keep-away, then she would focus on a different member of the Konoha team. The Aburame was likely hiding and overlooking the battle from a vantage point while his insects pestered her team, so she decided to support her teammate against the Hyuuga.

A taijutsu match against a Hyuuga was a double-edged blade if one was using a sword. Despite having a rather set style, a Hyuuga could easily lock a sword-user down. The Hyuuga would also be put in a bad situation since, if their proficiency regarding close combat wasn't quite up to snuff, they could end up losing a body part or even their life.

Kiba swore as the blonde backed away and jumped over the muddy ground towards Hinata. From his point of view, Hinata and the redhead were dancing to an unheard, deadly beat. The sword swung, missed, and then flew away as its owner avoided the next string of chakra-laced attacks. In another time, he would admire such a thing, but there was a more serious situation brewing.

"Shino, I could use some help here!" Kiba yelled as Akamaru jumped out of his furry jacket and landed onto the soft soil. Channeling chakra to his body, Kiba got on all fours. With another quick burst of chakra, Akamaru transformed into a Kiba look-alike. Both of the Kiba leapt at the red-haired kunoichi, who jumped away to avoid the gang-up.

Sword-user or not, it was not smart to remain in a battle against superior numbers. At least, not with the numbers having an unknown amount of skill.

From his hiding spot in the trees, Shino sent out a transparent clone towards the blonde. The white-haired Kumo-nin, seeing his teammates in trouble, performed a substitution as the swarm of bugs enveloped him. They ended up ravaging a thick branch before spreading out and awaiting further instructions.

"What do you want to do now, Samui?" the redhead asked. Her eyes remained on her team's three opponents and her sword was held horizontally in front of her. Her knees were bent and her muscles coiled, ready to intercept and repel any impending attack.

Samui was about to respond when every genin in the clearing felt an intense, almost palpable buildup of chakra. Shortly afterward, the chakra level dropped, signifying its release. It was accompanied by a loud, rushing noise and the sound of echoing snaps and cracks.

Shino took advantage of everyone's distraction by instructing some of his bugs to approach the Kumo-nin from their blind spot. Although he was hidden from view, he was not about to stand by and do nothing.

"Karui, Omoi, we're leaving. I have what we came for." Samui and Karui both threw a pellet down, causing black smoke to billow out from where they had been standing. Akamaru returned to his original form and began to whine. Kiba coughed for a moment before growling in frustration.

"The powder changed their scent, correct? You will not be able to track them?" Shino questioned, jumping down from the tree branch he had been standing on and calling back his allies.

Kiba nodded, frowning slightly. "Yeah. I don't think we can sniff them out." Kiba turned to his female teammate, worry painted on his face. "Are you all right, Hinata?" he asked.

Hinata nodded and slowly inhaled. She hadn't done quite so badly, but it was mainly the adrenaline that had been fueling her efforts. To be honest, she had been extremely nervous at the thought of fighting ninja from Kumogakure. It had looked obvious, it seemed.

Shino suddenly sighed. "They have our scroll," he informed. Kiba's frown deepened and he searched his jacket for the scroll they had been given. "The blonde kunoichi took the scroll from you while you were placed under a genjutsu," Shino elaborated.

Kiba's expression fell and he loudly swore, glaring at the direction the team of Kumo-nin had taken. "K-Kiba-kun... we still have two days before the exam ends... we could try and get two more scrolls," Hinata offered, not wanting to see her teammate remain in a dejected mood.

"Indeed," Shino agreed. Then the bug-user turned his head to where the buildup of chakra had originated. "Should we head over there?"

Kiba and Hinata knew what he was referring to. It was obvious. "Man, anyone who could do a jutsu like that isn't someone we want to mess with."

"Then perhaps we should stick to the edges," Shino suggested, his eyes still settled on the distance. "If we stick to the edges we may be able to intercept approaching genin. If we hurry, we might be able to get a scroll or two."

Kiba nodded, not seeing any other alternative. Hinata decided to go along with Shino's suggestion since Kiba didn't seem to be making a fuss about it.

**VvVvV**

(With Team Seven)

Naruto clenched his gauntlet-outfitted hand and threw a right hook at the genin in front of him. A single Kiri-nin had entered the now-clear area to figure out who had blasted the fog away and after spotting Naruto, had immediately attacked.

The Kiri-nin, wearing a loose, purple robe, leaned to the right to avoid Naruto's punch. The ninja brought his forearms together to block the follow-up jab from Naruto's left hand. Upon contact, a loud clang was heard and then a resounding pop.

The genin lowered his arms, annoyed that he had been fighting some sort of solid clone. Apparently, the clone had dispelled itself when its second punch connected with the genin's forearms. The skin had become sturdy enough to take a steel-strengthened attack, causing the clone to crush the bones in its hand.

In a nearby tree, Naruto wrung out his left hand, grimacing at the phantom pains he was experiencing. He shook his head when Sasuke gave him an inquiring look. Without any other interruptions, the genin they were watching began to leave.

Team Seven had been waiting for enemy genin to run by, but there hadn't been many. Two genin of perhaps two different teams had been sent out to scout the area, but they didn't have any scrolls on their bodies. It seemed as if the members of Team Seven weren't the only ones who were being cautious while traveling in the Spiteful Swamp.

Sakura sighed to herself. It had been two hours and not one actual team had appeared to investigate. They were being smart, of course, but she knew that not everyone had to have the skill level or potential needed to be promoted to chunin. Counting on a full team to appear might have been a bit much. "What are we going to do?" she asked.

"We can keep waiting," Sasuke said in a hushed tone of voice. His Sharingan-activated eyes scanned the area, committing every detail to memory so nothing would be missed.

Naruto slowly brought his hands up and formed his favorite hand seal. Sasuke saw this and made no attempt to stop him, but Sakura voiced her concern. "Are you sure you want to do that, Naruto? I know how many clones you can make, but you shouldn't overexert yourself. It's only the first day."

A cheery grin accompanied the first response. "Don't worry, Sakura. I have enough to chakra to last the three days and more."

"Are you sure?" Sakura pressed. She wanted to pass the exam, sure, and carrying the unconscious body of a teammate wasn't going to help, but she didn't want Naruto to hurt himself. Despite the precautions her parents insisted on, she couldn't help but think that Naruto was causing himself pain by using so much chakra.

Sasuke's eyes suddenly widened as he felt a presence nearby. Realizing the illusion he and his team were under was useless, Sasuke thought fast and grabbed Sakura's wrist. He flickered over to where Naruto was and grabbed his wrist as well before vanishing.

Team Seven's once-occupied location suddenly exploded as the tags detonated, releasing large amounts of heat and shrapnel, destroying the tree in the process. There was no doubt by any of the nearby genin that the explosion would attract even more attention.

Naruto and Sakura shook their heads, trying to rid themselves of the disorientation that came from rapid usage of the Body Flicker Jutsu. Sasuke gave them a quick apologetic look before turning and staring straight ahead. "How were you able to find us?" Sasuke said in a clear voice.

The redhead with glasses smirked at Team Seven as her teammates took their positions on her right and left. "It's not that difficult for anyone with sensory capabilities to find that little chakra battery on your team." She did tell her teammates how large his reserves were, as well as the strange, secondary source contained within him. It was either a bloodline, or something else she didn't quite know about.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. So she as a sensor. That made sense, actually. It explained how she was able to detect their presence during the first exam. Sneaking up on the girl would be difficult, but most sensors weren't directly suited for hand-to-hand combat and that was something he and Naruto were quite good at.

"Ooh, do we have a classic standoff going on here?" a new voice said. The Ame team and Team Seven looked to their right and left respectively and saw a white-haired boy in a purple sleeveless shirt and gray pants casually leaning on the remains of the destroyed tree.

Another genin wearing glasses, a blue stripes shirt, and black-and-white camo pants appeared next to the white-haired genin. His dark eyes and blue hair were disapproving as he glanced at his apparent teammate. "Haku-san won't be pleased, Suigetsu," the genin muttered.

Suigetsu shrugged. "Eh, I was bored. Besides, we just need one scroll. Either of these will do, right Chojuro?" Chojuro sighed to himself at the blatant bit of information his teammate had just let slip. Then he and his teammate drew their katanas in preparation for combat.

Hidden from view, Haku frowned at her teammate's actions. Nonetheless, she complied with their plan. They were a short distance away from the epicenter of the jutsu that had been used a short time ago, so they would need to grab a scroll quickly and run off.

Hopefully, everything would go according to plan. Darkness was soon going to fall, especially since they had been released into the swamp quite late in the day. Once they obtained the necessary scroll, they would be able to get away and find shelter.

Haku formed a single hand seal, causing mist to begin to form in the area, rendering most visibility around and within the clearing useless.

**VvVvV**

(Konoha Hotel - Lounge)

Kakashi watched the pacing Yuhi Kurenai with veiled amusement. Sure, he was worried about his genin too, but if they had passed the first exam then he had enough faith in them to know that they could take care of themselves.

After the first exam, a courier had appeared in the hotel to notify jounin-sensei whether or not their teams had passed. The jounin of the rookie teams were extremely proud that their students had passed the first exam. One did have to wonder how difficult the exam had to be for rookies to pass, but the other two teams from Konoha hadn't passed, putting that thought to rest.

The first exam's bout of violence was mostly contained. Three potential chunin working together against an ordinary chunin was not cause for alarm, especially since lethal force was restricted. If one genin froze up, his or her teammates could help out. As a result, combat wasn't as big a deal.

The second exam, however, had less limits placed on it. It was a war scenario, so deaths were entirely possible even if they were looked down upon. That was partially why Kurenai was nervous- none of her students had actually taken a life before.

Asuma chuckled as Kurenai renewed her pacing. "Settle down, Kurenai. You should have more faith in the abilities of your genin."

Kurenai stopped pacing and looked back at the reclining Asuma, cigarette lazily sticking out of his mouth. Normally, she would reprimand him, but there were other, more obvious things on her mind. "I do have faith in their abilities, but that doesn't mean I can't worry about their safety."

"Moreso with Hyuuga Hinata, right?" Kakashi said, nonchalantly flipping a page of his ever-present book. "Don't worry, Kumo won't try anything. People are still wary about what happened ten years ago."

Kurenai set her lips in a thin line. "That doesn't mean they won't try it again. They might still be angered at the loss of one of their infiltration specialists and seek to do some damage. Several clan heirs and a variety of genin with kekkei genkei are participating, after all."

Kakashi shrugged. "Eh, the Mizukage should have things under control."

Gai, who had been doing squats in a corner, straightened up and fixed his rival with a serious look. "Kakashi, you should be more worried about your students. While they are most youthful, the Spiteful Swamp is a dangerous place. I doubt that the genin have been in such an area before."

The one-eyed jounin sighed and snapped his book shut. He pocketed the thing while ignoring Kurenai's glare. "I have no doubt in my mind that Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura will protect each other if the situation calls for it."

Asuma chuckled, finding that response to be comedic. "I don't doubt any of our genin would do that, Kakashi." Asuma exhaled smoke away from the direction of the other jounin before sticking the cigarette back in his mouth. "I don't think that really answers whether or not the genin can handle themselves. Protecting their teammates and old classmates doesn't really help if they end up being a liability."

"Again, I have no doubt that my genin can protect themselves and each other."

Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai eyed Kakashi for a moment. Asuma cocked his head and spoke up, "Even Naruto? You aren't telling us everything, Kakashi."

Kakashi gave Asuma an eye-smile. "Well, information should be withheld."

"It's likely that their abilities will be revealed in this part of the exam," Kurenai said, grabbing a nearby chair and sitting down on it. "I can see why you have reservations, though."

Kakashi was silent before he sighed to himself. "Have any of your genin killed yet?" he asked. The simplicity of the question was noted: nothing vital regarding the genin's abilities and talents would be made known.

Asuma stubbed his cigarette and put it into an ashtray. "Chouji has," he said, choosing to speak first. "Crushed a bandit with his clan techniques. Poor kid was beside himself for days."

Kurenai raised her eyebrows. "Akimichi Chouji? I remember seeing him a few times at the academy. Mild-mannered boy, isn't he?"

Asuma nodded. It was why his first kill was so traumatizing. He was expected to be a ninja as heir to his clan, but Chouji's easy-going personality hadn't prepared him for the sickening feeling of hearing someone scream as their bones were crushed. "What about you, Kurenai?"

Kurenai shook her head. Although Kiba was able to kill with his techniques, he hadn't been able to do so. Most of the time, he either knocked out his enemies or sent them towards Shino or Hinata, both of which had abilities more suited towards incapacitating their enemies.

Gai went next. "Lee's flames of youth were dampened when he took his first life, but a day of sparring with me refueled them!" The jounin in the room groaned at the mention of youth. "Neji and Tenten have also taken their first lives, but they are doing fine."

That was not surprising. Gai's team had a year of experience and active service over the rookies, so it wasn't unreasonable for them to have already been subjected to such death.

Then the jounin turned their eyes to Kakashi. The man thought about how he wanted to speak. They were withholding information in the spirit of competition since any of their own genin could fight each other in the final part of the exam. "Sasuke got his first kill on a restrained enemy. As far as I could tell, he did not seem too affected by it. I believe his brother also consoled him after the mission."

"Ah! A most youthful brotherly bond!" Gai shouted, smiling toothily and giving everybody a thumbs up. There was another series of groans at Gai's eccentricity.

"In that same mission, Naruto got his first kill as well," Kakashi added. The other jounin were silent, waiting for Kakashi to continue. "In fact, he did it in order to protect his teammates."

"How did he take it?" Kurenai asked. She couldn't believe the happy-go-lucky blonde had taken a life. After seeing him a few times after performing his pranks, she never would've thought he had it in him to kill another person.

"He ended up being fine."

"That's it?" Asuma asked. "I expected something more from Konoha's most unpredictable ninja." The masked jounin chuckled at the title. You never knew who Naruto would prank next back when he was a student.

"Oh, there's more," Kakashi said with a shrug and took out his orange book again. "I'd say his chakra was rather interesting when he was going after his target."

The jounin got the hint. Obviously, Naruto had been provoked and had somehow unleashed the demonic chakra of the Kyuubi. It was probably an effect of the seal that held the Kyuubi back.

Kakashi mentally smirked at the fact that his fellow jounin couldn't tell their students about that since it would be classified if they didn't already know. They would get no advantages if they advanced to the next part of the exam.

The question the other jounin were wondering was: what would it take for Naruto to actually use the demonic chakra of the Biju sealed within him?

**VvVvV**

(With Team Seven and the other Genin)

Sasuke predicted the motion of the katana and easily ducked under the swing. Unlike the other ninja that attacked through the mist, this one was aiming to kill. His odd, purple eyes seemed to be gleaming in delight as Sasuke ducked, dodged, and rolled away from repeated slashes.

"Damn, those eyes of yours sure make this interesting. Think that if I kill you I can take them?"

The Uchiha furrowed his brow and took out two kunai, holding both of them in a reverse grip. He ran forward and attacked the older genin with quick, precise strikes. He wasn't quite as strong as the boy, but he made up for that in speed and effective use of the Sharingan.

Suigetsu laughed at the attack and parried or evaded each slash. He was still using the effort required to keep up with those who had special eyes, but the thrill of battle always made him feel a rush. Chojuro's Water Clone would also appear out of the mist and attack with the flat of its own blade before retreating before the Uchiha could adequately formulate a response.

The Hozuki clan member locked blades with the Uchiha and pushed him away before stepping forward and initiating an elegant, practiced series of slashes. He might not have his own specialized sword, but he hoped to inherit the decapitating blade his sensei used. Chojuro was more suited to the other one, anyway.

Sasuke grunted as the katana slid off the small blade of his kunai. He was steadily losing ground and the slashes were speeding up. He could still see them, but it required more and more energy to defend himself against the strikes. Plus, the attacks from his foe's apparent teammate were sudden and he was nearly hit every time the other katana-user popped out from the mist he was hiding in.

The flat of a blade materialized out of the mist and Sasuke's eyes widened. Both blades were moving too quickly for him to track; he would either have to get himself slashed or bruised. With a quick flick of his wrists, he blocked the katana aiming to kill and took the other hit. He hissed in pain as the flat of the blade made contact with his left arm, causing him to drop the kunai his hand was holding.

Suigetsu smirked. "Can't keep up with us? I guess those eyes of yours aren't as great as you think."

Sasuke jumped back before inhaling deeply and running through a few hand seals. With great speed he threw shuriken and shot out fireballs to surround them. The Kiri-nin he was facing grinned and ran through some seals of his own before firing off spheres of water.

That proved to not be a good idea, as the steam obscured the unhindered metal stars. Sasuke took great pleasure in hearing his opponent yelp in pain. "Fucking bastard! Why does everybody throw shuriken at me?"

"Maybe you should be more aware of your surroundings, Suigetsu," Chojuro chided, his voice echoing oddly in the unnatural mist.

Sasuke used the Body Flicker a few times in rapid succession to get out of the chakra-laced mist. He used his eyes to make sure he was completely out of range before jumping onto a nearby tree and heading back into the same area. Luckily, the mist did not extend to the higher branches. Sasuke's eyes scanned the area below, looking for disturbances that would reveal hiding enemies and comrades.

The boy hissed when a needle embedded itself into his leg. He collapsed onto his right knee, his leg unable to support his full weight. In a nearby branch, a kunoichi with needles in her right hand watched over him forlornly. "I apologize, Konoha-san. If you have a scroll, I can call off this mist and leave you be."

"Are the sword-users your teammates?" Sasuke asked, deactivating his Sharingan as a gesture of surrender. With his leg useless, he was essentially subject to the whims of the enemy. Inwardly, he cursed at not opting to learn how to place a genjutsu via eye contact.

The kunoichi silently nodded. "Do you have a scroll?" she asked again. Sasuke shook his head. The scroll was with Naruto, who could properly defend it if need be. "Ah, so it is with one of your teammates then," she deduced.

Sasuke chose not to answer the obvious question. He tried to remove the senbon stuck in his thigh and promptly got a needle in his right forearm. He hissed in pain and leaned back towards the tree, glaring at the kunoichi. "I'm sorry, Konoha-san, but you will have to sit out of the fight for now."

Growling, the Uchiha decided to try a very Naruto-like tactic. "Naruto!" he yelled. "Use your damned jutsu and blow away this mist!"

"Sasuke? Where are you-" Naruto's voice from below was cut off by something. Sasuke hoped that his friend was all right; Naruto was too stubborn to be defeated by a genin anyway.

"Naru-" Sasuke tried again, but additional needles found their way into his chest, causing him to feel drowsy. "Sakura..." he slurred, trying to form a complete sentence. Sasuke felt so sleepy, but he had to fight to stay awake, else he might never wake again. The nearby Kiri kunoichi eyed him for a moment before returning her attention to her mist.

Inside the mist, Naruto was continually interrupted from forming hand seals by the two genin wearing gas masks. Although, from his perspective, it was more like several genin wearing gas masks. Clones kept rising from the ground and then staggering towards him. Naruto knew that the real genin were mixed in with the clones, but every time a clone swung he got punched in the face.

He briefly wondered if this was how Sasuke felt during their spars when he was allowed to use his shadow clones. It looked and felt extremely annoying.

When he heard Sasuke shout out his name, Naruto realized that they were in trouble. He couldn't blow away the mist, Sasuke was probably hurt, and Sakura had to be dealing with whoever was remaining. _Damn_, he thought, _What do I do?_

Naruto didn't want to kill the genin attacking him. He had killed before, yes, but that was for his friends and sensei. These genin were just trying to take the scroll he had on him. Finally, Naruto decided to mould wind chakra to his gauntlets and simply bash everything until he made contact. He could definitely outlast the attacking genin since the jutsu they were using had to be taking a toll on them.

The blonde Uzumaki slightly spread his arms and placed his fists in front of them. He quickly placed his left foot in front of his right. Then, Naruto bent his legs, kicked off, and rushed forward, his gauntlets lashing out at nearby enemies. The wind chakra he was using extended his range and blunt force, causing dirt and debris to kick up as well as creating a mist-free pocket around him.

He heard a grunt as he snapped his leg back on instinct and smirked at the success of hitting one of the Ame-nin. Quite a few of the clones faded, giving Naruto much more room to work with. Then he inhaled deeply, flipped through some seals, and exhaled, aiming the jutsu at where he thought his opponents were. He didn't have the time to build-up chakra, so the wind's power was relatively weaker than the one his clone had used earlier.

That didn't mean it didn't achieve what it was meant to do.

Haku's expression was stoic as her jutsu was blown away, revealing the battlefield for all to see. It wasn't a terrible sight, but there were some injuries. No deaths, thankfully.

The red-haired girl was clutching her left arm with her right hand and had rejoined her teammates. One of the redhead's teammates was clutching his side and visibly limping.

The kunoichi's apparent foe, the pink-haired genin, was on her knees on the ground. Her eyes were lidded and one of her arms was hanging uselessly by her side. Apparently, it had been damaged in the brief battle.

Haku's own teammates hadn't escaped unscathed. Well, Chojuro didn't look hurt at all, but Suigetsu was grumbling under his breath and rubbing a bloodied spot under his shoulder. The Kiri kunoichi watched as the redhead growled and left with her teammates.

"We got nothing," Suigetsu said. Chojuro nodded in confirmation and suggested that they head out. More teams were sure to swoop down and pick off the genin they had just fought. Haku jumped away from the remaining genin quick enough to avoid recognition and scrutiny from the blonde. Her teammates followed her.

Naruto had watched both teams retreat. He was frustrated: nothing good had come out of blasting away the fog that clung to the Spiteful Swamp. His clothes were dirty and he needed to gather Sasuke and Sakura so that they could leave the area before being attacked by a more battle-ready team.

At least Team Seven's scroll was still in his possession. Naruto turned to look around and his heart plummeted. Sakura was unmoving and her arm looked pretty bad. Senbon were sticking out of her flesh in various spots. Naruto knew that she had to have been poisoned from the redhead's needles.

A groan broke the silence and Naruto looked up, growled in irritation. "Just our luck to fight not one, but two senbon users," the blonde muttered under his breath. He could tell the two users were different since one used poison- Sakura was unconscious while the other must have just chucked them at Sasuke, given how he was still awake.

Naruto created a clone and told it to pick Sakura up. Naruto ran up the trunk of a nearby tree and found Sasuke taking shallow breaths. His eyes were unfocused as he attempted to stay awake. "Naruto... needles..." he slurred, the words bordering on incoherent mumblings.

The needles must have been doing something to Sasuke's body, Naruto realized. Slowly, he grabbed one of the needles near Sasuke's neck and pulled. It came free smoothly and Sasuke made no noise to acknowledge the pain that must have followed it. The rest of the needles followed.

With the needles gone, Sasuke's eyes focused again and he inhaled and exhaled deeply. "What happened?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.

"We lost. Both of the teams attacked us and only us. They didn't go for each other. I'm wondering why one of them didn't just run away, actually," Naruto explained. He hadn't seen the entire battle though, nor did he have Sakura's point of view.

"It must have been worth the effort to weaken future competition," Sasuke whispered. He tried to sit up, but his body wouldn't completely listen to his commands. He ended up slowly stretching his muscles to check for any lasting wounds and to reduce the chance of soreness.

"We have to get going," Naruto said as his clone jumped onto the branch with Sakura held in a fireman's carry. "Sakura's been poisoned and it's getting dark." Naruto then formed a cross seal and sent the twenty clones that appeared off to find shelter. "Can you walk?"

Sasuke shakily stood up and moved his arms and torso about. He took a tentative step forward and shifted his weight to make sure he wouldn't collapse into a heap. "I might need a bit of support, but that's it."

Naruto nodded and took Sakura from the clone, slinging her over his shoulder. He was careful not to move her arm any more then was necessary. In turn, the clone put Sasuke's right arm over its shoulder as a form of support. "Let's go. If any of my clones find a shelter, they'll dispel and let me know."

Then the weakened Team Seven ran out of the now-darkening area, hoping to find shelter before it became too dark to see.

**VvVvV**

Sakura's eyes snapped open and she tried to move, only to end up whimpering in pain. Her entire body felt weak and her arm was throbbing. She tried to swallow but found that her throat was uncomfortably dry.

"Hey, she's awake!"

The pink-haired kunoichi realized that there was a source of light near where she was lying. Underneath her was a mat of... moss. Normally, she would've flinched in disgust, but her movements were limited for the moment.

"Don't try to talk, Sakura. Here, drink this." Sasuke lifted her head with his left hand and brought a canteen to her mouth. She slowly sipped the water, swishing it around in her mouth to wash away any dust. "You were asleep for most of the night and morning," Sasuke continued.

"Where... where are we?" she asked, her voice sounding very small in the tiny cave they were hiding in.

"Still in the Spiteful Swamp. We're in a cave underneath the roots of a tree," Naruto explained, walking up his teammates. He handed her a cooked fish. "Eat this. We bandaged your arm as best as we could given the small amount of supplies we had."

"What about our scroll?" Sakura asked. She didn't want to be the reason they lost their scroll, _if_ they lost their scroll.

"We still have it," Naruto said, giving her a reassuring grin. Then the grin turned into a worried frown. "You need to rest though. We can't be going out and picking fights."

"We're at a disadvantage," Sasuke said. Sakura sighed to herself. Of course they were at a disadvantage; her arm was useless, she was weakened from the poison, Sasuke looked a bit pale, and Naruto had used quite a bit of chakra already. "Plus, our position isn't too hard to find. A few genin were able to pick up our trail before we threw them off."

"I had to create more clones to throw them off," Naruto added. He had used up a lot of chakra since the exam had started, but he was still fine. He still had a lot left and the small amount of sleep and food helped replenish some of his reserves. "I'm not too sure it'll help in the end. Every now and then a team comes dangerously close before they move away."

"This is all my fault," Sasuke said, his eyes downcast. His teammates were surprised at his admission. "If I hadn't suggested that attack, then we wouldn't be in this mess."

Naruto softly laughed at his friend. "Really? Who's the one who actually carried the jutsu out?"

"And who's the one who couldn't cast a strong enough genjutsu to hide us?" Sakura chided. She coughed lightly before clearing her throat. "You shouldn't put the blame on yourself, Sasuke-kun."

"Yeah! We're a team, aren't we?" Naruto said, grinning. "All for one and one for all and all of that crap, right?" Sasuke and Sakura gave Naruto a confused look. Naruto rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly. "Well, we _are_ Konoha ninja."

"True," Sasuke acknowledged. "Thanks, guys. We still need two scrolls, though."

"Make that one," Sakura interrupted. "I'm not in any shape to continue and I can't even move my arm or body."

"I thought we were a team," Sasuke said, mock-glaring at Sakura.

Sakura rolled her eyes and spoke seriously. "I can't help you guys any more and the proctor didn't say that it was necessary to have three scrolls."

Naruto appeared conflicted. "He didn't say it wasn't necessary to have all three scrolls, either."

"Naruto-baka! Just let me rest after this exam. You two can get another scroll and progress onward. Win the next round for me, will you?"

"We need another scroll first," Sasuke muttered. He gave Sakura a meaningful look and she shook her head. She was set in her decision. "Are you going to tell us how your battle went?" he asked.

Naruto's eyes widened. "No time; heads up! A team's getting close! One of my lookout's dispelled." Three clones came into being around him and took protective positions around Sakura's downed body. Each of the clones, in addition to the original, equipped their signature gauntlets.

Sasuke activated his eyes and crept towards the entrance of the small cave they were in. Leaning his body slightly out of the cave, he scanned his surroundings. There was a flash of steel and a kunai embedded itself a few dozen feet in front of him. "Shit," Sasuke muttered.

Just Team Seven's luck.

"This is where he is hiding?" a familiar-looking male standing on a nearby tree branch said. Sasuke realized with a start that it was the robed genin Naruto's clone had squared off against. This time, the genin had brought what Sasuke presumed to be his teammates.

The kunoichi had dark eyes, very light blue hair, full lips, and a pale complexion. Her light blue kimono hugged her curves, causing Sasuke's eyes to unnecessarily trail down her body. "Most definitely," the kunoichi replied, her honeyed voice tickling the ears of the present genin.

The shinobi next to her seemed to be rather bulky, with a hairless, rotund body accompanied by what seemed to be hundreds of dots lining his upper torso and arms. He was half-clothed, with gray shinobi pants and no shirt. He jumped down and landed a few dozen feet in front of Sasuke. "You have something that belongs to us!" he said in a raucous manner.

Sasuke settled into a defensive stance and stared down the larger boy in front of him. His Sharingan remained activated. Even though he had received food and sleep, his body still felt sluggish. He glanced to his right and saw Naruto emerge, his canines bared. "You again?" he said.

The kunoichi giggled. "He's cute." Her robed teammate gave her an exasperated look and jumped down to join the rotund genin. The kunoichi also jumped down, thus giving her team the advantage in numbers.

"Let's get this over with. I want a scroll so we can all pass," the robed genin muttered. Without giving Naruto and Sasuke the option to surrender, he ran forward in a burst of speed, swinging his right arm in a hammer-fist strike. When Naruto avoided the attack, he smirked. "I also want a rematch against your clone. Thank you for that, by the way. It's what let us find you."

Sasuke jumped high into the air, letting the charging, topless genin harmlessly run underneath him. As he descended, Sasuke flipped through some seals and exhaled a fireball. It was really just a testing attack in order to determine what his foe could do.

The Uchiha did not expect the fireball to make contact. Instead of the screaming that usually followed intense burns, Sasuke's eyes detected plumes of chakra erupting from his skin. When the smoke cleared, pillars of thin, sharp spikes were attached to the rotund genin's body. "You like my bloodline? You're not the only one with a fancy kekkei genkei!"

Then the boy opened his mouth in an impossibly large fashion and inhaled. Alarm bells went off in Sasuke's head and he hastily distanced himself from his foe. His instincts proved to serve him well, for the genin spat out a pressurized stream of water that looked like it would hurt if it made contact.

Naruto clenched his teeth as his opponent's palm made contact with his chest. A metallic taste tickled his tongue and he spot out the globule of blood that had appeared. He knew that he was in trouble and that Sasuke's jutsu apparently didn't have much effect against his bulky foe. He couldn't even tell where the kunoichi had gone, which was what worried Naruto the most.

As for the individual with the purple robe in front of him, Naruto would have to break out his more lethal attacks. Bracing himself for the possibility of mortally wounding a fellow genin, Naruto channeled chakra to his gauntlets and extended their range, making them sharper, more deadly.

He was surprised when his slash didn't do much damage. "You think your chakra can cut me? My scales are strong enough to withstand your attacks," the boy informed and then subsequently lashed out with another palm strike.

Naruto was not one to give up, though. Wind chakra was extremely malleable and he could make it as thin and sharp as he wanted to. All of his practice hadn't been for nothing, after all.

The other genin was surprised when a gash appeared across the side of his body. It wasn't deep, but it was evidence that the scales hadn't completely guarded against the attack. "You think your scales can stop my slashes? My slashes are strong enough to cut through your defenses," Naruto mocked, scowling at his opponent.

A twitch of the brow was the only indication of any irritation from Naruto's remark, and then the genin both struck again in a fierce display of footwork, movement, and combat.

Naruto knew how damaging the palm strikes were and channeled wind chakra to his sides and arms to subtly divert the course of the strikes. The other genin knew how dangerous Naruto's swipes could be, so he strengthened his scales and avoided taking damage to crucial areas.

And then there was a scream, causing Naruto's eyes to widen. Memories flooded his brain as the kunoichi used some sort of electrical current to dispel his clones. The final clone had put itself in front of Sakura before being forcibly removed from existence.

In Naruto's momentary distraction, his foe delivered a crushing strike to his chest and sent him flying away. Sasuke watched Naruto sail through the air, blood spilling from the blonde's mouth. _Oh, no... _he thought.

The genin with the scales slowly inhaled. "It is finished. Gina," he called, "Do you have the scroll?"

As if on cue, the kunoichi walked out of the cave entrance and out into the open. She had a scroll in her hand and an annoyed look on her face. "Clones thought they could stop me, girl thought she could fight," she scoffed, "She won't be getting up anytime soon." She made to move, but a flurry of shuriken caused her to jump away. "Still fighting, are you?"

Sasuke jumped away from another high-pressure stream of water, danced out of reach of a palm strike, and spun away from the kunoichi's retaliatory thrown kunai. He landed in a crouch, breathing heavily from his exertions. "Naruto!" Sasuke shouted, "Wake up! Sakura's hurt! We're in trouble!"

"Surudoi, get rid of the annoying brat," Gina said in a smug tone.

"_**It's like you can't do anything on your own, boy.**_"

As the large Surudoi approached the tired Uchiha, everybody felt an intense presence enter the area. The air became thick and hard to breath in. An angry red aura seeped from Naruto's pores, covering his body and healing his wounds. He stood up and hunched down, the power of his inner demon rushing through his coils, revitalizing and energizing him at the same time.

His eyes locked on the kunoichi who had hurt Sakura. She was petrified by his gaze and couldn't move. She saw him destroy her over and over again without a care in the world. Gina felt as if her world was going to end.

Naruto vanished in a haze of red, appearing next to Gina and punching her in the stomach. She flew back from the strength of it and painfully smacked into a tree. From the way she slumped down, Naruto knew she was unconscious.

Yet, the anger didn't recede. It was still there, permeating his body and saturating the air. He was angry at their bad luck, at how his friends were hurt, and at himself for not being able to defend them.

The robed shinobi went into his own defensive stance and mentally elevated the blonde's threat level. Naruto turned to him with a ferocious snarl. Although the genin quelled his fear and got in close to attack with another one of his crushing palm strikes, the blonde vanished from view again.

The feeling of a foot on his back forced Hakari to his knees. His arms were both slowly being pulled into an uncomfortable position. Hakari grunted in pain. "So you are going to break my arms?" he asked in a stoic manner.

Naruto stopped. Even that was a bit too cruel. He wasn't a monster. He had knocked out the one who had hurt Sakura. He had to check on Sakura. Using whatever remained of the Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto appeared next to the fallen Gina, searched her pockets, and took out a scroll from her pouch. He also retrieved the scroll that had fallen from her hands.

Hakari made to move, but Naruto appeared in front of him and punched him in the face, sending him reeling. The heavy presence in the air finally faded, leaving a panting Naruto in its wake. Hakari slung his kunoichi teammate over his shoulder and motioned to Surudoi. "Let's get out of here. He's something else..."

Just like that, the team vanished from Team Seven's view. Sasuke hobbled over to where Naruto was standing. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern evident in his dark eyes.

"I'm fine," Naruto said thickly. "Let's check on Sakura." Several shadow clones popped into being. "Bring... a crab..." Naruto managed to get out before his eyes rolled up and he passed out, the scroll rolling around on the soft soil below.

Sasuke caught him, picked up the scrolls, and then hoisted Naruto up over his shoulder. Slowly, he trudged into the nearby cave to check up on Sakura. The clones made sure Sasuke was all right before departing.

Sakura was just knocked out, but she had a nasty bruise on one of her cheeks. Sasuke carefully laid Naruto on the hard cave floor before snickering to himself. Really, he shouldn't be laughing, but he never expected the second exam to end up like _this_.

"I never thought he'd actually pass out from chakra exhaustion," Sasuke remarked.

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><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: Long chapter, right?  
><strong>

**The 'Spiteful Swamp' is Kiri's Forest of Death, cliché name and all. It is essentially a swamp-like area with fog and mist everywhere. The crabs don't make very much sense, but they're special crabs. If you want a rough idea of what the swamp looks like, look up swamps on wikipedia. The swamp page has a few pictures that gave me an idea of what the place should look like.**

**As for the time: It was late afternoon when the genin entered the Spiteful Swamp. First exam was in the morning, took some time, and then the genin were led to the next exam.**

**The three Kiri ninja that tracked Team Seven had "bloodlines" based off of aquatic animals. I'm not sure if I want them to advance though since it'll make too many people pass. Gina = silver, Hakari = scales (I think), and Surudoi = sharp.**

**Anyway, read and review. Please leave a review or PM me if there are any notable contradictions or errors that I have missed. I read through this twice to make sure there weren't that many mistakes, but I'm only human.**


	16. Completed

**A/N: The early chapters don't really blend together very well. If you have any advice for that, let me know. **

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><p>Chapter Sixteen: Completed<p>

Naruto ran into the cave, holding a strange, blue crab. The real Naruto had removed his gauntlets some time ago and accepted the crab from his clone before dispelling the doppelganger. "This is the only crab my clones could find, I guess..." Naruto muttered, eying the aquatic animal in his hands with some doubt.

The crab didn't seem to mind being held and was quite docile. "Can you channel chakra into it? We need to get back to the tower and help Sakura. We're not exactly in tip-top shape right now," Sasuke pressed, impatience leaking into his voice.

Naruto nodded at his teammate and channeled chakra into the crab. The blue crab began to glow with an eerie light before there was a puff of smoke. Naruto and Sasuke waved the smoke away in order to see what had happened. Once the smoke completely cleared, a man of medium stature with pink eyes and gray hair had appeared with the blue crab nowhere in sight. On his back was a long staff with a wicked-looking hook on its end.

The blonde jinchuriki blinked at the newcomer. "Uh... are you the examiner that's supposed to help us? We have three scrolls and we're kind of banged up..."

The man glanced at each genin before nodding. "Indeed I am, genin. Please hold onto my staff and keep a firm grasp on your unconscious teammate." Sasuke grabbed Sakura and carefully hoisted her up on his shoulder before he and Naruto reached towards the offered, blunt end of the staff. There was a feeling of weightlessness before the scenery around them changed.

"What the... what happened?" Sasuke asked, looking around. Rather than a dark, dreary cave, Team Seven was in a sterile-white room.

"Ah, my crabs reverse summoned us. This building on the outskirts of Kirigakure is where the third exam will be issued and also has a medical bay, which is where we are now. Could you please hand over your scrolls?" Naruto handed over three scrolls with 'pass' inscribed on them. The man nodded and then smiled at the genin. "Now, what are your names?"

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke began, introducing himself to the examiner.

"Uzuamki Naruto," Naruto added when the examiner turned to him. "Our teammate over there is Haruno Sakura."

The gray-haired man nodded and pulled out a pen from somewhere on his person before writing on each scroll. "There we go. Now then, congratulations to your team! All three of you pass!" the man exclaimed in a soft, powerful voice.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Sakura's not in any condition to do anything right now." The Uchiha gestured to the pink-haired kunoichi's arm, which was bent at an odd angle.

The gray-haired man smiled again, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You should be happy. The third exam does not truly begin for another month." Medics began to rush in and took Sakura away from a stunned Sasuke. Naruto and Sasuke were both also steered away from the examiner and taken to their own beds to be examined.

Sakura was carefully placed onto a bed and received immediate attention. Next, Naruto and Sasuke were quickly examined and deemed to be healthy, if a bit tired. Both of them turned towards Sakura, who was blissfully unaware of what was happening around her. "Is she going to be all right? Sasuke worriedly asked. Naruto too looked worried about his teammate.

"She should be fine," the man said. "Our medics are quite good at what they do. Her arm is broken, but she will be as good as new within a few days." His pink eyes trailed on the genin and lingered a short bit longer on Naruto. "This medical bay is located on the ground floor of this building. The floors after the next one hold rooms that you can rest in. The very top of this building is where the third exam will be explained to the passing genin."

"What if we get lost?" Naruto questioned, frowning at the man. "I mean, it's not like we have a map of the building or anything."

The pink-eyed man smirked. "There are genin teams here that have either dropped out of the exam or already passed. Many of them are staying in the proffered rooms until the time limit for the second exam expires. If you are lost, you may ask them. _Chunin_ should be able to find their way around their surroundings."

Naruto gave the man a deadpan look. The examiner laughed lightly at Naruto's expression. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be." Then he vanished, much to the surprise of Naruto and Sasuke. No smoke, no wind... nothing. The man simply vanished.

"Whoa..." Sasuke muttered, thoroughly impressed at the man's disappearance. "He either has some wicked speed or has enough mastery over the Body Flicker Jutsu to not need anything to cover his exit."

"Was that what you used back in the swamp?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded, explaining that his brother had taught them the jutsu during the week before the genin left for Kirigakure. "That was... neat. Think I could learn it?"

"Go bother Kakashi-sensei or something. I'm not much of a teacher," Sasuke responded, smirking at Naruto's groan. Before Naruto could respond, a medic ushered the two out of the room so that there would be no interruptions while Sakura was being treated.

The two genin walked down the hall, seeing people dressed in light blue scrubs move about. There were quite a few rooms with closed doors in the medical bay. Each room probably held a genin that was being treated for any wounds, poisons, or sicknesses obtained during the second exam.

It was necessary, of course, to actually have a medical bay on-hand. Just because genin from opposing villages were dying didn't mean that they weren't supposed to be treated. Once the genin were out of the swamp, they had either cleared or forfeited the second exam, meaning that other villages could cause political troubles if their soldiers were left to die.

It wasn't really good sportsmanship either.

Naruto and Sasuke left the medical bay and traveled up a set of stairs until they reached a hall with light blue walls. Naruto looked around, trying to find out if there were any signs on the walls that would tell the two genin where they were. Seeing nothing, both of them kept walking forward.

"So what do you think the next exam will be?" Naruto whispered.

Sasuke turned his head and gave Naruto a questioning look. "Why are you whispering?" Sasuke asked in a normal tone of voice, confusion evident on his face.

The blonde shrugged. "I don't know. The lighting here sucks, it's kind of dark, and we're the only ones in the hall."

Sasuke rolled his eyes as the two genin turned a corner, which led to a set of wooden doors. The Uchiha opened the doors and entered the new room. Inside, there were quite a few genin chatting while sitting down at a table of their choosing. On one side of the room there were several Kiri-nin moving steaming pots and pans about.

A delicious aroma wafted through the air, causing Naruto and Sasuke to involuntarily begin salivating. Their stomachs rumbled soon after. "Sasuke, this cafeteria has made me the happiest guy in the building. Let's get some grub!"

Sasuke snickered at his friend's enthusiasm and followed him over to where the plates were lying. The two genin picked up their plates and went over to the chefs serving food. Sasuke decided to try out some of Kiri's seafood while Naruto predictably scooped up some ramen. Once they had their food and drinks, the boys went to a free table and sat down.

The blonde jinchuriki immediately began shoving his noodles down his gullet. Sasuke was a bit more mindful of the people around him, but he still ate pretty quickly. While they were chowing down, the Uchiha took the time to look around. Many of the genin that had passed the first exam were in the room, meaning that most of them had possibly failed or possibly passed the second exam.

"Ah, that hit the spot. I wish we could go for seconds, though," Naruto said, patting his stomach. Piping hot ramen after a night at a dangerous swamp was really filling.

"Don't piss off the cooks. You eat too much for them to handle, anyway," Sasuke absently replied while placing a piece of fish in his mouth.

Naruto snorted as a group of people caught his attention. "Hey, it's Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino. Do you think they passed?" Sasuke shrugged, turned around, and waved the fellow Konoha genin over. The Uchiha braced himself for Ino's squeal, but it never happened. "Whoa, are you guys all right? You look pretty tired," Naruto asked.

Shikamaru sat down next to Naruto with Chouji sitting down next to Shikamaru. "We're fine right now, but we lost our scroll to some team with bloodlines. They ended up hurting Chouji pretty bad so we got out of there to get him treated." Shikamaru put his elbows on the blue table and cradled his head. "What a troublesome exam..."

"I didn't think it would be so hard," Ino muttered, her eyes downcast. "Chouji tried to attack that genin and got his body punctured." She shuddered slightly at the memory of the gruesome image.

"Hey, cheer up guys. At least I'm all right, right?" Chouji said, smiling at his friends and classmates. His assurance was dampened by the fact that he had bandages all over his arms. Then he rubbed his hands together and smiled widely. "But now that we're all rested up, it's time to eat! I'm starving!" The big-boned boy got up from his seat and hurriedly waddled over to where the plates and cooks were waiting.

Sasuke stared at Shikamaru for a moment. "Was the genin that punctured Chouji's body a large guy? Had a shinobi that wore a robe on his team?"

"Troublesome... you met them in the swamp?"

"More like defeated them," Naruto chirped, grinning widely at the victory. He pointedly chose to ignore his usage of the Kyuubi's chakra. The chakra was invigorating and made Naruto feel extremely powerful, but the aggression that accompanied it made him feel sick to his stomach. He wasn't suited to being a mindless berserker.

Ino's jaw dropped. "W-What? Really? And you took their scrolls?" Naruto and Sasuke nodded. "So you guys ended up with three scrolls after about a day. I can't believe it," Ino said, surprise evident on her visage. Then her eyes flitted between Naruto and Sasuke and she asked, "Where is Sakura, by the way?"

"Medical bay," Sasuke answered with a sigh. "We got some pretty bad luck and ended up getting hurt a few times. That team with the bloodline users we were able to defeat, though." Sasuke cast a sidelong glance at Naruto, who was watching Chouji walk back to the table with loaded plates on each hand.

"What, did you guys walk through that weird Fuuton jutsu?" Shikamaru lazily asked. His eyes seemed to droop more and more with each passing second.

"That-"

"Was not what we did," Naruto quickly said. He glared slightly at Sasuke before continuing, "We were on the outskirts of where the jutsu was launched and we ended up being found by a sensor and by another group of genin that were passing by."

"Sounds like a fun free for all," a new voice said. The people at the table turned to see the members of Team Eight, along with a grouchy-looking Inuzuka Kiba, walking towards them. They picked their seats and sat down. By now, the table was thoroughly full and would only be able to seat one more person at best.

The genin all murmured greetings to each other before Sasuke spoke up. "It wasn't a fun free for all. Sakura ended up hurting her arm pretty badly. So what happened to you guys?" the Uchiha questioned.

Kiba sighed in displeasure and shook his head. "We got our scroll stolen right off the bat by a team of _Kumo genin_," Kiba spat. He seemed to be bitter about losing. "Then some other team decided to attack us just a little bit more because we didn't have our own scroll." Kiba shrugged and Akamaru, who was perched on his head, whined softly.

"Why does everyone hate the Kumo genin?" Naruto asked, tilting his head curiously. "I don't see them doing anything wrong."

Kiba and Shino glared at him. If looks could kill, Naruto would be a corpse. He chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "K-Kumo and I have a b-bad history..." Hinata whispered, prodding her index fingers together.

"Oh." Naruto was still confused, but he could tell that Hinata was uncomfortable speaking about whatever happened between her and Kumo, so he let the matter go. Naruto decided to switch to a different topic. "So do you guys know specifically where the rooms are?"

"The third, fourth, and fifth floors have doors on the sides of the halls that lead into rooms in which you can rest," Shino quietly explained. Everyone but his teammates stared at him. He never did speak much, which explained why some of the genin were surprised.

"So that means the sixth floor is where the final exam will be issued. I wonder what it'll be..." Naruto said, rubbing his chin in thought. The examiner they were with told them that it didn't really take place for another month, so there had to be a reason for that little break.

"Why do you care?" Kiba said, sneering slightly at Naruto. "It's not like you passed, right?" Naruto and Sasuke stared at him for a moment. "Err... right?" Kiba repeated. A moment later he slammed his head onto the table with a bang, nearly causing Akamaru to fall off. "I can't believe Sasuke and Sakura picked up that much slack..."

"Actually, all of us pretty much helped in equal amounts. Naruto helped fight our opponents, I made sure we were never completely caught off-guard, and Sakura was able to hide us from view by using her illusions." Kiba stared at Sasuke before groaning. Sasuke decided to pour salt into the wound because it was amusing. "We got three scrolls, too. Do you have a problem with that, Kiba?"

Kiba responded by flipping Sasuke the bird and the people sitting down at the table shared a collective laugh at the Inuzuka's display of poor sportsmanship. "I'm going to find a bed. Sasuke, if you're going to stay here, I'll meet you in the medical bay tomorrow morning," Naruto informed.

Sasuke glanced at the clock situated directly above where the chefs and cooks were handing out food. "It's a bit later than I thought it would be, but I'll see you tomorrow morning at the medical bay. I still want to try out some more of their seafood."

Naruto gave the Uchiha a deadpan look. "And here I thought you said they wouldn't give me seconds..." he mumbled.

His teammate scoffed at him. "The problem isn't seconds, Naruto. The problem is _twenty_-seconds." This time, the table laughed at Naruto, who walked away with a proverbial storm cloud hanging over his head. He left through a set of doors opposite to the ones he had first entered through.

In the new hall before his eyes, there were more genin mulling about. Some were walking towards the cafeteria while others were just hanging around and speaking with their teammates. Naruto walked onward, catching some bits of conversation.

"...hurt his leg..."

"...failed... all your fault..."

"...hope he's all right."

He had assumed as much; the genin were speaking about their experiences in the Spiteful Swamp. Apparently, more genin had been hurt than Naruto had previously thought. The swamp must have been more dangerous than he had anticipated. Either the genin were more aggressive, or there were deadly animals running around.

That caused a slight shiver to run down his spine.

Naruto found another flight of stairs and went up a level. This time, he found the doors that led to the rooms genin were allowed to stay in. As Naruto walked, he found that all of the rooms on the third level had small signs hanging from their doorknobs. On one side, 'vacant' was written, while the other had 'occupied'. The rooms all had the signs with the 'occupied' side facing Naruto.

There were still genin in the hallway, but most of them were either heading towards the end of the hell or towards the stairs behind Naruto. The blonde boy kept walking while making sure to avoid bumping into the other genin.

He did notice that many of the genin had the same expression that Kiba had had and some of them glared at Naruto when he glanced at them. They couldn't have known he had passed, so Naruto wondered why they were so angry. Sure, he would be disappointed too if he failed the second part of the chunin exams, but another one would come around in six months.

Naruto went through another set of doors and into another stairway. "This place annoys me already," the blonde jinchuriki muttered to himself, glaring at the sight of more steps. Really, Naruto just wanted a soft bed instead of metallic stairs.

"Oh really?"

The blonde whipped around and came face to face with the examiner that had transported Team Seven to the building. The man was leaning on a wall next to the doors, a slight smirk gracing his features. Naruto's jaw was slightly open. "Err... what do you want?" he warily asked. He hadn't even sensed the guy appear!

The man tilted his head slightly, his pink eyes never leaving Naruto's blue. To the blonde, it felt somewhat unsettling. "Why are you assuming that I want something?" the man said in reply.

The blonde furrowed his brow at the examiner. He had seemed pretty friendly beforehand, but now it was kind of odd that the man was just leaning on a wall in an empty stairwell. He had also indirectly refused to answer Naruto's question. Before Naruto could ask another question, the man again spoke. "Uzumaki Naruto... you're the genin that Kisame was talking about, aren't you?"

What? Why would he bring that up now? "Yeah, that's me," Naruto slowly replied while carefully eying the man in front of him. His stance was completely relaxed, as if he didn't even consider Naruto to be a threat.

Naruto was about to continue, but the man interrupted him. "I do hope you aren't going to ask me why I didn't bring this up back in the medical bay. There are better places to have a conversation." Naruto rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment at having overlooked that fact. "I am intrigued by the fact that you stood up to one of Kiri's strongest ninja without flinching in fear," the man said.

"Shark-face is one of Kirigakure's strongest ninja? He looked more disturbing than powerful," Naruto mused, curious how such a thing had come to be. He hadn't known that such a creepy-looking individual could have been such a powerful ninja. Then again, his masked sensei had pretty silly habits and was quite a powerful shinobi in his own right.

The man chuckled. "Not many people tend to have that point of view when they're being attacked by him." Naruto slightly paled at that. The giant, scaled sword the man had on his back looked pretty nasty. "Although, he might have paid attention to you because you hold the last name of Uzumaki..."

"What!" Naruto yelled, his eyebrow twitching dangerously. He didn't want people to recognize him just because he was part of an extinct clan. "Why is everyone so surprised about that?" The blonde then glared at the man. "You aren't going to say that Uzumaki are supposed to have red hair, are you?" Too many people had said that to him and it was starting to get on his nerves.

The gray-haired man raised an eyebrow. "Not all Uzumaki have red hair. That particular trait isn't always dominant."

Naruto snorted. "I think I know that by now," he muttered. Nagato had brought it up a few months ago and it had been noted several times during the exams. Really, it felt like everyone but Konoha knew about the Uzumaki, and Konoha used to be friendly with Uzushiogakure!

The man hummed for a moment. "From my point of view, you bear a passing resemblance to the Yondaime Hokage rather than any traditional Uzumaki," he said.

"I've been told that too," Naruto replied, rolling his eyes as he did so. He hadn't really seen the Yondaime in his full glory since most pictures tended to show the man from the back. The only thing that Naruto usually saw was the spiky top of the man's blonde hair. He hadn't ever seen the man's eyes or face; those pictures were conspicuously absent from textbooks and Hokage portraits.

"Oh? Is it more often than the Uzumaki red hair comment, or not?"

"Not," Naruto said. Then he gave the man an odd look. "What's your name, anyway? You know mine and we've been holding a conversation, but you haven't introduced yourself, proctor-san."

"My name is Yagura," he replied. "You know, you're a rather strange individual."

Naruto blinked. "What? Why?" He'd been called various things before, but that was usually after he committed a prank or when he used to interact with the older civilians of Konoha. "Why am I a strange individual? What did I ever do to you?"

Yagura laughed lightly and cracked a small smile at Naruto. "I find that people such as you and I usually tend to have interesting quirks associated with us," he said while nonchalantly examining his fingernails.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that comment. "What do you mean people such as you and I?" People such as himself and Yagura? Naruto thought he was pretty normal and Yagura didn't seem to be that strange. The scar on his face looked pretty gruesome, though.

"I believe someone similar to us is also taking part in the exams," Yagura added, hoping that Naruto would catch the hints he was dropping. If he was taking the chunin exams and had progressed thus far, then he had to be able to make some connections.

The blonde stared at Yagura for a moment, trying to figure out what the man was getting at. Similarities... similarities... another person who was similar to them? "Could I get another hint, please?" Naruto asked, grinning nervously at the man.

"Perhaps this will help." Yagura put a fist up to his mouth and cleared his throat. "We are the weapons that both cause and prevent war."

Cause and prevent war...

Unbidden, an excerpt from a book he had read came to Naruto's mind: _A jinchuriki is a weapon created for the village, by the village, and to be used against other villages. Jinchuriki are also used as political tools, both for and as an aversion to war. The terrible power of the beast within can dictate how the tide of battle will flow..._

Naruto refocused on reality and realized he was looking at the ground. He gulped and slowly looked up.

The eyes of two jinchuriki met. One was passive and relaxed, while the other was cautious and tense.

Yagura was still leaning against the wall, as if he was simply talking about the weather. "I'm going to assume that you're shocked to meet another jinchuriki given how your mouth keeps opening and closing," Yagura pointed out with a smirk.

"H-How?" Naruto squawked. "I'm not supposed to meet more than one, am I...?" Naruto quietly questioned, his inquiry aimed more at himself than the man in front of him. Most jinchuriki were not meant to ever come into contact.

"So the girl knows as well," Yagura mused. "How strange..."

Naruto's mind snapped back to reality and he focused on the examiner. "Strange? What are talking about?" he asked, still a bit stunned from the revelation. It felt like when Nagato had confronted him all over again.

"Jinchuriki do not usually draw people to them," Yagura explained. "In fact, most jinchuriki tend to shun-"

"I know," Naruto interrupted. He recalled how Fuu had acted before he sought her out. A memory of when he was younger, when he wanted nothing to do with the people who glared and sneered at him, also came to the front of his mind. "I've seen it happen," Naruto muttered.

Yagura studied him and raised an eyebrow. "Still, it is impressive that your natural... _charisma_, I should say, draws people in." The man stopped leaning against the wall and turned his body to face Naruto fully. "You do not exhibit aggressive tendencies from what I have seen and been informed of so far. The chakra that flooded the Spiteful Swamp earlier is a direct contrast to your ordinary demeanor."

"You mean my Biju's chakra?" Naruto asked. He figured other jinchuriki could tell when demonic chakra was used. "I can call upon it when I'm angry or if I'm in a pinch." The blonde suddenly snorted. "I don't like using it though. It makes me care less about my surroundings and become too aggressive in exchange for speed and power."

"It weaponizes your body, doesn't it?" Yagura watched as Naruto flinched slightly. Despite being a jinchuriki, the boy was obviously reluctant to using the chakra unless he was in a dire situation based on his reaction.

The blonde furrowed his brow and an expression of anger appeared on his face. "I might be a jinchuriki, but jinchuriki are people too," Naruto exclaimed.

"Your agitation stems from the fact that you do not wish to be a weapon," Yagura stated. Naruto nodded, prompting Yagura to sigh thoughtfully to himself. Although he believed that Nagato would achieve the peace that many people desired, he also believed that the concept of a shinobi would become lost in the possible transition.

Ninja were supposed to be weapons, soldiers used to exercise power and reach, both politically and physically. If the nations and villages were at peace, what would the ninja do? It was a question both Yagura and Nagato had asked each other many times. It was a dilemma.

Weapons were not supposed to have emotions. Swords, kunai, shuriken... all of the tools and weapons ninja could use were not alive and therefore, couldn't have emotions. Ninja were supposed to be weapons, tools of their superiors, yet they were human and therefore, had emotions that interfered with their line of work.

It was indeed a problem, in Yagura's opinion. However, he was a product of that idea. He was a weapon serving as the Mizukage of Kirigakure, and he had emotions. He did not have any qualms with that, especially since his control over his emotions and synchronization with his Tailed Beast eventually helped him find peace within himself.

The blonde in front of him did not have an idea of what he was supposed to be. His rejection of the idea of being a weapon for his village was strange given how jinchuriki and shinobi in general were meant to defend their homes at all costs. All villages had a sort of philosophy regarding that.

"Naruto," Yagura began, "Are you loyal to your village? Would you defend it to your last breath?"

The blonde jinchuriki remained silent for a good minute before answering, his expression turning completely blank as the seconds wore on. He thought about those who he held close to him and those who had shunned him.

"Yes," Naruto said with total conviction. "I would defend Konohagakure. It's my home and my village." He had to change the opinions of the populace in Konoha somehow, right?

Yagura hummed to himself. "All ninja are meant to defend their homes. They are all weapons to be used by their village, for their village, and against other villages," the gray-haired man stated.

"Why can't we defend our homes without being seen as weapons?" Naruto asked, his expression twisting into confusion.

"Because we _are_ weapons, Naruto. Our bodies are killing machines, capable of taking life and causing great destruction if we wish it. All ninja are weapons, whether they realize it or not. However, that does not mean we need to abandon our emotions and values."

"But..." Naruto trailed off, unsure of how to respond. All ninja could act as weapons since most of them had destructive abilities, but they could all also retain their emotions and remain human. Could he still be... _himself_ if he accepted what he had been created to be?

Naruto didn't know the answer to that question. Maybe he would find it as he grew older.

"It's just some food for thought," Yagura elaborated, smirking at the confused boy in front of him. "You shouldn't dwell too much on it. You're still young, after all." The gray-haired man turned around and walked up to the wooden doors that Naruto had entered from. He turned his head glanced at Naruto before adding, "Tools, whether they are weapons or not, can have emotions too. You shouldn't forget that."

And then Yagura left, leaving Naruto alone with his thoughts. The blonde was completely unsure of how to react towards this information. He scowled to himself. _As if finding out there's a jinchuriki in Kirigakure was surprising enough..._

Of course there would be a jinchuriki in Kirigakure. Each of the greater villages were supposed to have one or two, if the history book he had read months ago was true. He really shouldn't have been surprised.

So he was meant to be a weapon, like all of the other ninja in the nations. He had seen ninja being welcomed by their families, their friends, and their comrades. He had seen them acting like ordinary civilians.

The mission was supposed to be the primary objective. If his friends were in danger, Naruto would forgo his objective and help his comrades out. Maybe that was what Yagura was getting at? Complete your objective and serve your village, but do not abandon the values you hold close to your heart.

Naruto shook his head and began walking to the next floor. He would figure out the answer later. There were more important things to focus on.

Like finding a damned room and sleeping in a soft bed.

**VvVvV**

(Medical Bay)

After finding an empty room, claiming it as his own, and dropping like a rock, Naruto woke up feeling refreshed. Either the beds were of higher quality than the ones he had used, or he really had been tired. After showering to rid his body of the smell of the swamp, Naruto put on his ragged clothes and exited the room, making sure to memorize where it was located.

It was somewhat early in the morning and not many genin were up. Naruto headed downstairs with the intent of visiting Sakura to see if she had woken up yet. Briefly, he wondered if she would be happy to have progressed to the next round.

He blinked and shook his head. Of course she would be happy; they had passed the second exam. There were some difficulties, sure, but they had all passed. Naruto grinned to himself in anticipation of what the third exam would be. There was still a day and a half until the second exam was officially over, though.

When he entered the sterile-white of the medical bay, Naruto immediately spotted Sasuke reclining on a couch in the waiting room. He walked up to his teammate, uttered a greeting, and plopped down nearby. "So, when can we visit Sakura?" Naruto asked in a lowered voice. The room was pretty quiet and Naruto didn't want to disturb anyone.

Not that there were many people to disturb. There were only three other genin in the room.

"Yeah, good morning to you too. We can visit now, I think. I was just waiting for you," Sasuke replied. The Uchiha rose from his seated position and groaned as he popped his bones back into place. Naruto followed him to the receptionist's desk, who was wearing blue scrubs and had a Kirigakure headband around her neck.

"You're looking for Haruno Sakura?" the receptionist replied in a stoic, professional voice after Sasuke inquired about the whereabouts of the pink-haired kunoichi. "She was moved into room twelve and is currently awake. Just go through the door and take a left. Her room should be nearby. Please don't disturb any of the other patients."

Naruto and Sasuke thanked the woman and then went through the doors that led to the rooms where the patients were staying. After a few minutes of walking, the two eventually reached their destination. Sasuke knocked on the door twice and asked, "Are you presentable?" There was an utterance of "yes" before Sasuke opened the door and entered, with Naruto following.

Sakura was dressed in her ordinary ninja outfit and was lying down on a bed that was propping her upper body up. Her forehead protector was on a nearby table, allowing her long pink hair to dangle freely. Her right arm was in a sling and her face looked much better than when they had previously seen it.

The kunoichi's green eyes brightened considerably when she saw her teammates. "Hey, Naruto! Sasuke-kun! You guys came to visit me?" Her voice was much louder than before, too. Her energy seemed to have been replenished.

Sasuke nodded to her and gave her a small grin. "Yeah. The medics told you how you ended up here, right?"

"Yeah. Did you two pass?" she asked, fingering her hurt arm. Naruto and Sasuke both watched her tentatively move her arm about before Naruto decided to respond.

"All of us passed," Naruto replied, giving her a wide grin. He outright laughed when her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "Why are you so surprised? We beat the team that attacked us, got their scrolls, and managed to get here. Plus, we beat Team Eight and Ten to boot." The blonde jinchuriki punched the air in victory.

Sakura regained her composure and frowned at that bit of information. She didn't doubt that Naruto and Sasuke would pass, but her? In her own opinion, she wasn't quite as strong as her own teammates. She didn't have the influential family Sasuke had, nor did she have the confidence that Naruto constantly exuded. "Why did you get another scroll for me?" Sakura curiously asked.

"Why not?" Sasuke said as he shrugged his shoulders. "We have a month-long break for some reason before the next exam, so you should be fine by the time it rolls around. The second exam doesn't end for another day, by the way."

"A month-long break? That's neat, I suppose..." Sakura muttered in a somewhat downtrodden voice. Naruto and Sasuke blinked at how dejected she sounded. "At least you guys beat Ino's team," Sakura said before weakly chuckling.

"Sakura... what's wrong?" Sasuke asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. For some reason, it appeared as if her confidence had vanished. "It's not like you to mope around. You should be happy that we all passed."

"Yeah!" Naruto added while rubbing his hands together. "We get bragging rights..." Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's low, devious laughing.

Sakura sighed to herself and ducked her head. "It's nothing, guys." She chose not to bother the two males with more of her insecurity. They would need their minds focused for the third round.

Naruto shrugged and Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's shoulder, turned him around, and walked a few meters away from Sakura's bed. Before Naruto could ask what Sasuke was doing, Sasuke whispered, "Be quiet for a moment. Something's up with Sakura."

Naruto frowned. "I know. Do you think she's going to try and drop out?" he whispered. The entire team wasn't needed to pass, but Naruto was hoping Sakura wouldn't forfeit just because she didn't think she was strong.

"I'll talk to her. You should go and see if you can find out who else passed the second exam," Sasuke muttered. Naruto looked like he was going to protest, but Sasuke silenced him with a fierce glare. "She likes me, remember? She might listen to what I have to say more than what you can say. Besides, I think it's my turn to try and cheer someone up," Sasuke joked. Naruto's stomach then rumbled, prompting Sasuke to smirk at him. "Maybe you should eat something, too."

Naruto sighed in resignation and left the room, bidding Sakura and Sasuke a good-bye and allowing Sasuke to do what he wanted. Sasuke watched his friend leave before turning to Sakura. He cleared his throat and looked into the kunoichi's eyes. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong. You were much more confident earlier and now you're not, even though you're advancing to the third round."

Sakura remained silent and tilted her head so that she wouldn't meet Sasuke's eyes. Being in the same room with her crush- _alone_- was what she normally would've wanted, but now she just wanted to avoid his piercing gaze.

"Well?" Sasuke pressed, balling his fists and glaring at Sakura. "What's wrong? Your arm will eventually heal, your wounds are patched up, and we've all passed. Shouldn't you be happy? You're advancing with Naruto and-"

"I'm not advancing!" Sakura cried. She glared back at Sasuke, but the effect was noticeably lessened by the tears forming in her eyes. "I'm nowhere near as strong as you and Naruto! I don't have Naruto's stamina and confidence and I'm not from a family of ninjas with a special bloodline like you are!" She shut her eyes and took a ragged breath in an attempt to stop the tears from leaking out.

"You should give yourself more credit," Sasuke muttered. He walked closer to her bed and pulled up a chair. "You might not be from a family of ninja and you might not have Naruto's... stamina, but you were recognized as the kunoichi of the year. Why did you try and work towards that title? Where were your efforts directed?"

Sakura hiccuped and raised her head. "I was just trying to beat Ino and get you to acknowledge me." Despite the flash of pink that went across her face, Sakura was able to speak with a level voice. "That was my goal," she continued before laughing bitterly. "What a goal, right Sasuke-kun? I became a ninja to win your affection. At least Ino wants to become better at her clan's special brand of jutsu."

Sasuke reached out with his right arm and poked her forehead with his index and middle fingers extended. "So you don't want to compete because you don't think you have a good reason to be a ninja?" Sakura sniffed at that. "Sakura, you need to find a clear, definitive goal. Right now, fighting for the affection of someone is a waste of time."

"W-What?" Sakura replied, sounding lost. Her head had snapped up and again she met Sasuke's eyes. The Uchiha had placed his elbows on her hospital bed and had his interlocking fingers holding his chin up.

"Sakura, we're only children in the eyes of the world. As much fun as a relationship would be," Sasuke said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "It would end up being useless. We need to learn how to defend ourselves first and how to become ninja that Konoha can be proud of. I find that having a goal gives me the motivation to continue my career.

"Look at Naruto, for example. He wants to be Hokage. That's his dream, his goal, and what he works towards. Look how much he's grown because of how hard he works to achieve his goal. He's grown more than you and I combined!" Sasuke shook his head, smiling slightly. "I want to be recognized by my clan as an excellent ninja and I will keep working until I can effectively fight my brother.

"What about you, Sakura? Do you think you can give yourself a goal that will end up bettering you? That will end up giving you a reason to remain a ninja?" Sasuke moved away from her bed and left the room, leaving the chair where it was. He glanced at her one last time before opening the door and exiting her room.

Sakura looked down and stared at her left, open hand. An actual goal? Sasuke hadn't outright rejected her, but simply asked her to wait until she was older before trying to get into a relationship. It hurt, but Sakura could see what he was getting at.

Now that she realized that chasing after Sasuke was a relatively useless goal for the time being, she needed a way to keep her motivation up. She needed a goal.

The only question was, what kind of goal should she choose?

**VvVvV**

Naruto had met with Sasuke in the cafeteria after trying to figure out who had passed and who hadn't. He had nearly ended up getting punched in the face by several irritated genin who had failed, causing him to quickly decide against outright asking random genin he came across.

Sasuke revealed what he had told Sakura to Naruto. The blonde was surprised that Sasuke would do that to snap Sakura out of her funk, but at least the Uchiha was gentle about it. Sasuke had tried to be nice with his friendly rejection, but it would probably still hurt her.

The two males spent the rest of the day walking around, trying to find any familiar genin that had passed the second exam, and chatting with the genin of Team Eight and Ten. After a good night's rest, Kiba's anger had simmered down and he was much more agreeable with his old classmates.

Naruto had also found Fuu's team in the cafeteria the next morning. They were relatively unscathed, but had only managed to grab two scrolls. Fuu had timidly offered to hand them over to her teammates, but both of them declined and decided that Hiro would continue while Nobu would remain behind.

The blonde jinchuriki had also spoken with Fuu in private when she had asked him how well he did in the second exam. He admitted his distaste at using the Kyuubi's chakra, but felt that he was in the clear given how he had used it to help his teammates. In addition, Naruto mentioned Yagura, which surprised Fuu greatly.

Later in the afternoon, when Naruto and Sasuke were going to check Sakura out of the medical bay, they found a dampened Lee and a stoic Neji in the waiting room. Both of them had informed Naruto and Sasuke what had happened to their teammate in a scary, serious manner.

Tenten had suffered debilitating injuries and wouldn't be able to participate in the next exam. She wouldn't have been able to recover soon enough despite the month-long wait until the third exams actually started. However, she was going to be fine, much to everyone's relief.

Once Sakura walked out, her arm in a sling and her forehead protector on her head, the complete Team Seven and the two members of Team Gai left the medical bay. All five of them headed up the stairs to the top floor in order to wait for the initiation of the third exam.

When they reached the top floor, they saw two ninja in front of the light green doors that led to where the third exam supposedly would be explained. The Kiri-nin asked for the names of the genin in gruff voices. Once the names were given, the two ninja parted and allowed the Konoha ninja through.

The room was a bit larger than Naruto expected. Actually, he had no idea what to expect. The third exam, like the exams before it, was completely shrouded in mystery. There was nothing to tell him what it would be or how difficult it would be.

The room was also... _different._ If Naruto knew the word 'auditorium', that was what he would use to describe it. Rows upon rows of seats and a large stage with blue curtains graced his eyes when he entered the room. There were lights fastened to the ceiling that were switched on, allowing for visibility.

A few genin were already present in the room and were sitting next to who Naruto assumed was their teachers. Some of the jounin were sitting alone; Naruto spied Kakashi sitting on a seat located on the left edge of the room.

Grinning, Naruto turned to Sasuke and Sakura and whispered for them to follow him. They did so and met up with their sensei who was, oddly enough, not reading his ordinary pornography. He chuckled to his three genin when they approached and sat on his right. "I saw you three made it, hmm?" he muttered.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, Sasuke smirked, and Sakura did nothing. "Well, I'm proud of you three. It's very difficult to get this far in a set of exams, especially since this one isn't hosted at our home village," Kakashi praised, giving his students his signature eye-smile.

"It wasn't that hard, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto whispered while basking in his sensei's praise. "We'll take whatever the third exam is and get promoted. It can't be that hard, can it?"

Kakashi glanced at Sakura's arm and then looked back at Naruto. He simply uttered, "Famous last words," before focusing on the stage in front of all the chairs. The blonde jinchuriki shrugged and made himself comfortable in his own cushy seat.

After an hour of waiting during which Naruto tried his best to remain still, he saw Fuu, her teammate, and two familiar genin from the Spiteful Swamp enter with a kunoichi he recognized as Haku. As soon as the newcomers were situated, the lights dimmed until a spotlight was remaining on the center of the stage.

There was the sound of rushing wind and Kisame appeared, grinning toothily at the genin in front of him. "My, my! We got a bunch of brats passing the exam this time around!" He took a moment to count before frowning slightly. "Huh, more than I thought passed the swamp. Anyone going to pussy out?" he yelled.

Two genin raised their hands. One was Sakura, much to Naruto's shock. He wanted to object to her forfeiture, but knew that he wouldn't be able to change her mind. Sasuke had been the one who had chosen to speak with her and he wasn't saying anything, so he must have trusted her decision.

In the dim light, Naruto could barely make out the other genin's forehead protector. He was part of the team that had caused Team Seven so much trouble. The blonde jinchuriki felt a bit of guilty satisfaction at seeing one of the Ame genin forfeit.

Kisame nodded to himsef. "All right, we got two brats gone, leaving us with a grand total of twelve remaining genin. I was hoping to get it into the single digits, but I guess we can show off some more," the blue-skinned man mused with a grin. "Now then, the teams are dissolved for this next round."

"Dissolved? Why?" Naruto asked, raising his right arm slightly into the air in order to draw attention to himself.

"Why don't I answer that question, Kisame?" a voice rang out. From the curtains obscuring the right end of the stage, a man of medium height with gray hair strode out purposefully. Kisame inclined his head in respect and backed away from the center of the stage and out of the spotlight. The man cleared his throat before speaking, "Hello, genin. My name is Yagura, the Yondaime Mizukage of Kirigakure."

Naruto made a strangled sound before forcefully restraining himself from yelling out in disbelief. Really, Yagura was a jinchuriki and a Kage? That fact gave Naruto hope that he would accepted as Hokage back in Konoha if he worked hard enough.

"Now then, the teams are dissolved because of the nature of the third exam. The first two exams required teamwork in order to progress; teamwork that is required by all chunin to have. An accomplished chunin possesses strong teamwork skills and leadership qualities. If your team ended up arguing amongst themselves, then your indecision would have been your downfall.

"While the first two exams focus on teamwork and leadership, the final exam will focus on a demonstration of your skills. Chunin do generally tend to have chunin-level skills, after all," Yagura joked. Somewhere, a cricket chirped. "Anyway, the third exam is a tournament that will consist of one-vs-one matches at Kiri's main arena. Because the teams are essentially dissolved, there is a chance that you will be forced to fight your teammate.

"Remember, the strongest genin might not be promoted to chunin. Oftentimes, it is the calculating strategist rather than the mindless berserker that is promoted to the rank of chunin. The exams will begin in thirty days, so you all have some time to train yourself. Each genin will be given a specially selected field where you may train without fear of being spied upon. In addition, you may train outside the village if you wish.

"In these exhibition matches, there will be various people observing you. Among those will be your Kage, a few of the diamyo, and certain officials from other lands. While the officials and diamyo will base their views on your village based on your skill, your Kage will inevitably decide whether or not you will be promoted. Are there any questions?"

"How do we know who we're going to fight, Mizukage-sama?" Suigetsu asked.

Yagura smiled at the genin, projecting a bit of Killing Intent to make most of the genin squirm. "You won't, Suigetsu. You won't always know who you're going to fight during a mission or in war." With that, Yagura waited a few more moments before nodding to himself. "Your jounin should have the details regarding where you can train. I wish you all good luck."

Yagura vanished. Kisame chuckled to himself before adding, "By the way, the exits are at your sides. They lead to a balcony where you can head back to your hotel if you're still tired."

The spotlight faded and lights were turned in, lighting the auditorium once more.

* * *

><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: Naruto, Sasuke, Lee, Neji, Hiro, Fuu, Haku, Suigetsu, Chojuro, Karin, Samui, and Karui have all advanced. Originally, this was meant to be smaller, but there's a reason for all of them to pass. Well, most of them.**

**The crabs are Yagura's summons, by the way.**

**I hope Yagura's personality doesn't conflict. He likes to mess with people sometimes, but he can also have a commanding presence if he wishes it. I'm still fleshing him out.**

**Sakura hasn't made up her mind yet. She's still undecided after what Sasuke told her. She'll get stronger though once she meets a certain cliché someone...**

**As for the exams: first two required teamwork and decisive leadership. Last one is a tournament that requires a presentation of your skills. That's my reasoning for it, anyway. The reason why there's twelve shinobi participating is because of something special Yagura's rigged when the tournament actually starts.**

**I hope Yagura's second speech (ha) wasn't that bad. I wanted to cut the village-power thingy short.**

**Leave a review and let me know what you think.  
><strong>


	17. Heritage

**A/N: Updates might slow down since I have stuff to do over the next few weeks. I hope this doesn't seem _too_ unrealistic. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Seventeen: Heritage<p>

Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi were in the lobby of the Konoha hotel. Kakashi had obtained directions from the receptionist on where to find the training fields Naruto and Sasuke were allowed to use and was standing in front of the two genin, a pleasant eye-smile on his face. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order," Kakashi cheerfully said.

Naruto nodded rapidly, a happy grin on his face. Not even his objections towards Sakura's forfeiture could get him down. "Hell yeah! I told you we could do it, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed while bouncing on the balls of his feet. He really was excited.

The Uchiha standing on Naruto's right smirked. "It really wasn't that difficult," Sasuke said. "So, how are we going to do this?"

"Do what?" Kakashi asked, raising his visible eyebrow.

"Directions to the training field so that we can begin training," Sasuke elaborated, folding his arms and frowning slightly.

The masked jounin blinked before directing his attention to the doors that led outside. "Well, your brother and Shisui should be here by tomorrow. Besides, it's kind of late as it is. Don't you two want to rest in your own beds for once?"

Sasuke's jaw dropped. "What? They can't be moving that quickly. When did you find out that we passed?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"A day and a half ago. I was notified when you guys passed. Didn't you wonder how I was in that auditorium when you two entered?" Naruto and Sasuke both looked away from Kakashi. "Well, they're on their way. Both of them will want to congratulate you and prep you for the tournament, Sasuke." Sasuke nodded, a small smile growing on his face.

Naruto furrowed his brow and tapped his foot impatiently. "What about me, Kakashi-sensei? Are you going to train me?"

"Why yes, I am. Ordinarily, I'm more suited to teaching Sasuke since we both have Sharingan, but his brother is better than I am at utilizing it."

Sasuke nodded in agreement. Naruto smirked. "Hell yes!" It wasn't that Kakashi was a bad teacher- well, he wasn't _amazing_- but he had to divide his attention between three genin and most of the time had his genin do chakra control exercises. Sometimes he did 'teamwork' exercises, but didn't exactly help out each individual genin.

"Someone else is coming along that wants to meet you, Naruto," Kakashi added, directing his eye to where Naruto had been dancing in victory.

Naruto stopped his movement and then turned to his teacher, curiosity evident in his eyes. "Someone wants to meet me? Did you get me another teacher or something, Kakashi-sensei?" Two teachers would be nice, but Naruto didn't know how he would divide his time.

Kakashi tilted his head from side to side in a contemplating manner. "He sent me a letter a day ago with some info he wanted to tell you when he gets here. I didn't ask him to help, but he asked to train you. I'm just here so that my talents don't go to waste." And Kakashi wanted to pass on a special gift to Naruto... it would make sense, since his own sensei passed it on to him.

Sasuke coughed to the side before beating his chest and giving Kakashi an innocent, wide grin.

"Something he wanted to tell me?" Naruto asked, squinting his eyes and cocking his head to the right. Who would ask to train him and then have something to tell him?

Kakashi nodded and gave Naruto an eye-smile. "Oh yes... I think you'll be very happy when he tells you." Naruto would probably be smiling for quite a while afterward too. It wasn't often that an orphan learned who their mother was, after all.

However, he hoped that Jiraiya wouldn't tell Naruto any more than that. It would give Naruto a sense of betrayal and might make training him a bit more awkward than Kakashi would like. Kakashi would have told Naruto himself, but the Sandaime Hokage had restricted that bit of information.

Naruto's parents were kept from him for a reason. A young, lonely child who was the son of the Yondaime Hokage was liable to scream it out to the streets. Namikaze Minato had many enemies that he had accumulated and any one of these enemies would gleefully murder a genin just to get back at the genin's father.

Uzumaki Kushina was a different story. Kakashi didn't know why she was kept from Naruto, but Jiraiya had the intention of informing the blonde. Him learning about his heritage probably contributed to that fact... or perhaps guilt had caught up to them.

Kakashi mentally shook his head. He was guilty about a lot of things and teaching his sensei's son, the son that had no knowledge of his parents, was one of them. How would Naruto take it that the Hokage and an esteemed ninja such as Jiraiya knew his mother? What had he been told in his youth about his parents?

"Kakashi-sensei!"

The jounin started for a moment before looking down at the tuft of blonde hair waving a hand in front of his face. He chuckled sheepishly. "Yes, Naruto?"

"You kind of zoned out there, sensei..." Sasuke muttered, narrowing his eyes slightly. Hatake Kakashi had been out of it long enough for Naruto to wave a hand in front of him without the jounin noticing? That wasn't very jounin-like behavior.

"What were you thinking about?" Naruto asked, poking Kakashi in the arm repeatedly. Whatever Kakashi was thinking about had to be relevant to Naruto. The jounin had mentioned something that the other teacher wanted to tell the blonde jinchuriki.

Kakashi lazily glanced at Sasuke and then at Naruto before sighing to himself. "I think your other teacher will answer it when he enters Kirigakure. He should be already here given how fast he travels..."

"He's faster than my brother?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow. Itachi was _fast_. Faster than his father, even. So who was faster than his brother?

Kakashi chuckled at Sasuke's question. "Well, I guess he does have a few advantages." Years of experience, summons, and mastery over a variety of jutsu tended to help.

Naruto grinned as excitement flooded his body. "So he might already be here? Can I meet him?"

"Maybe you should until the next morning," Kakashi suggested. Glancing out a nearby window, Kakashi noted that light was beginning to fade from the village. "It's getting dark and you two still have thirty days to train."

Naruto frowned. "If we have thirty days to train, then we should be getting all the training we can possibly get. I mean, it helps us, doesn't it?"

"That's true," Sasuke agreed. "But resting also helps your body. If you train nonstop your body can't really build up muscle."

"I don't think that's a problem for me," Naruto dryly replied. Sasuke rolled his eyes at that, remembering that Naruto was a jinchuriki and had ridiculously quick regeneration times.

"If you two want, you can get something to eat and then rest. I'll remain in the hotel. Remember, be careful. Spying is not allowed and will be dealt with harshly." Both of the genin nodded and headed out.

Kakashi rubbed his chin as he watched his genin leave. Maybe he should speak with Sakura...

**VvVvV**

The next day, Itachi and Shisui had arrived and greeted Sasuke, as well as giving him congratulations for passing the first and second exams. Naruto was not exempt from this and received praise as well, much to his embarrassment.

After receiving instructions on the location of the training field from Kakashi, Itachi, Shisui, and the younger Uchiha all headed out. Sasuke had a surprised expression on his face after Itachi had leaned down and whispered something in his younger brother's ear.

After the trio exited the hotel, Kakashi turned to Naruto. "Are you ready? We're going to meet your other teacher."

Naruto pumped his fist in the air and dashed right out of the hotel, with Kakashi following. Naruto would continually get ahead of his sensei before Kakashi grabbed a hold of the boy's shirt and kept him from running. "Stop running ahead of me, Naruto," Kakashi tiredly said as the blonde bundle of energy again attempted to squirm free.

"I can't help it, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto replied eagerly. "It's just... I'm so excited! I get to learn new things, meet another sensei, and he has something to tell me. Wouldn't you be excited?"

Kakashi chuckled, his eye glinting with amusement. "Yeah, I'd be excited to meet this guy too." Considering that Jiraiya wrote Kakashi's favorite novel series, he'd want to get an autograph, see if there were any new books in the making, and perhaps even get a photograph... but that wasn't the point.

The streets were still bustling with people going about and doing their own thing. Some shops were crowded, some were not, and there were children running around in the streets. Kakashi noticed Naruto's fixation on his surroundings. "You know, it's going to get a lot more crowded in the future."

"I could understand why," Naruto agreed, nodding his head. There were officials that were coming and since the next exam was a tournament, it could be watched by people looking for a show. Refreshments and souvenirs were present for tourists, too. The necessary preparations would need to be made.

"Yep. There's nothing quite like a battle between two ninja, so a chance to watch these fights without fear of being injured tends to bring people in from many different places."

Naruto scratched his head and looked up. "That makes it feel like it we're just here to put on a show for people rather than get our promotion."

"The chance to get a promotion is still there. It depends on how impressive your match is. It has to showcase your skills, intelligence, and other capabilities," Kakashi informed. He grabbed Naruto's shoulder and steered him to the left at an intersection, which led to the district where the bathhouses were situated.

The blonde looked around, confused as to why they were heading in this particular direction. "Why are heading over here, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Well..." Kakashi trailed off, wondering how to explain Jiraiya's habits. The man was very public about his perversity. "Your other sensei likes to hang around the bathing areas," the jounin explained. Not for the reasons that Naruto would think, though.

Naruto didn't think much of it. He liked bathhouses too. A good soak never did anybody harm. After some more walking, Naruto caught the sound of giggling. He broke away from Kakashi, who had released him after the blonde began to slow down.

Kakashi must have heard the noise as well because his eye turned starry for a moment before he regained his composure; not that Naruto noticed. The jounin followed his student as Naruto walked alongside the fence that kept away peepers. Well, most peepers anyway. Some were a bit more... proficient.

Naruto froze upon seeing a man with long, white hair sitting on top of a large, orange toad with blue markings on its skin. The toad's size allowed the man to look over the fence, granting him full view of the glistening bodies that belonged to the females in the bath. The perverted man was also the source of the giggling.

Naruto deeply frowned at what the man was doing. Sure, he could admire the female body if he wanted to, but he wasn't a pervert. Openly peeking on bathing females was not amusing to Naruto. The blonde walked up to the man and tapped his side. "What are you doing?" the blonde asked.

"Quiet down brat," the man hissed. He didn't even look back to address Naruto! "You're going to alert them and ruin the show." He giggled once more before leaning a bit forward. Naruto noticed that there was a notebook in the man's hand and a pencil in the other.

Naruto looked back at Kakashi, who had his orange book out with an awestruck expression in his one visible eye. The blonde would have tapped the man again, but then the toad below shifted slightly. Naruto wondered why he hadn't realized that the toad was much larger than any he had seen before.

A faint memory floated up to his head. The Yondaime Hokage was able to summon toads and this man in front of him apparently could do so as well. Naruto backed up to where Kakashi was still standing and loudly whispered, "Hey Kakashi-sensei, I thought that only the Yondaime Hokage could summon toads."

The white-haired man heard what Naruto had said and abruptly turned around, a toothy smile plastered on his face. "And who do you think taught the Yondaime Hokage? Me! The gallant toad sage known as Jiraiya!" he boasted.

"You taught the Yondaime Hokage?" Naruto skeptically asked, raising an eyebrow. This flamboyant man that was apparently a pervert taught Naruto's greatest idol? Huh, he never would have known that. The Yondaime Hokage taught by a pervert... somehow, it felt like a letdown.

Jiraiya opened his squinted eyes and glared down at Naruto. "What, is another blonde brat saying that my teaching skills aren't up to snuff?" Mentally, Jiraiya cringed at the sight of what was essentially a clone of his old, prized student. "Hold up, did you say Kakashi?"

Naruto nodded, choosing to ignore the man's former remark. Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of Jiraiya, holding up his book. "Please, oh glorious and gifted Jiraiya-sama! Could you please give me an autograph?" Kakashi begged, his eyes sparkling.

"For a loyal reader, of course I would!" Jiraiya exclaimed, having seemingly forgotten that there were women bathing nearby. Quicker than Naruto could see, Jiraiya had taken the book from Kakashi, signed it, and then handed it back. Jiraiya nervously glanced over the fence once more before leaping off of his toad. "Let's get out of here before the kunoichi catch us."

Naruto paled. "You were peeping on _kunoichi_?" That had a very high chance of going bad. Although, the fact that the man hadn't been caught was somewhat impressive.

Jiraiya nodded quickly. "Right, follow me." The toad dispelled itself and Jiraiya nonchalantly walked in the direction opposite of where the bathhouses were. Naruto looked to Kakashi, who gave him the go-ahead, and then followed.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going somewhere private, brat."

"Hey! My name is Uzuamki Naruto and I'm not a brat, damn it. Can I at least know exactly who you are and why I'm following you?" Naruto impatiently asked.

Again, Jiraiya nodded. "Right." Without turning to face Naruto, he explained himself. "As was mentioned before, my name is Jiraiya, the great and gallant toad sage. I'm the one who wanted to speak with you. Kakashi told you about my letter, didn't he?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait... I'm going to be trained by a pervert?" he cried, pointing an accusing finger at Jiraiya. The white-haired man couldn't see it, though. Naruto completely disregarded the fact that Jiraiya could summon toads and had taught the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha.

Some people gave Naruto, Kakashi, and Jiraiya strange looks, but Jiraiya merely looked affronted. "Pervert? Brat, you don't know who you're talking to. I'm a _super_ pervert!" Jiraiya exclaimed proudly. That didn't help elevate Naruto's opinion.

Kakashi sighed. "Jiraiya-sama, maybe we should speed this up..." Jiraiya nodded and took a turn, with Naruto and Kakashi following. After a few minutes of silent, quick walking, they arrived at a large training field that overlooked a pond. The slightly wet grass coupled with the trees and cloudy skies gave Naruto a strange feeling of contentment.

"Welcome to _your_ training field, brat," Jiraiya said with a flourish, using his arm to wave towards the training field. It was large enough for adequate exercising and had a water source for practicing Suiton jutsu. "And this is where you'll be spending most of your time over the next month," the sage added.

Naruto knit his brows together in confusion. "So Kakashi-sensei is training me here... what are you going to train me?"

Jiraiya looked down at Naruto and smirked. "Well, I have something else in mind that I want to teach you. Quite a few things, actually. But, important things first."

"Right, the letter's contents," Kakashi said, joining the conversation. His eye was alert and he was focused on Jiraiya.

"That, and Konohamaru says hi, brat."

Naruto's brows shot up into his forehead. "Really? Huh, that's nice." Naruto didn't think that Konohamaru would do that, but he hadn't seen the academy student for a while. He had been busy and had had things on his mind. Then the chunin exams had come up...

"Yeah, whatever. The Hokage and I have determined that you are mature enough to hear this new bit of information." Kind of. Jiraiya had guilt-tripped himself into it and the Hokage hadn't exactly helped.

"Mature enough to hear what?" Naruto asked, grinning in excitement. He began to bounce on the balls of his feet, wondering what he was going to be told. If maturity factored into it, then maybe Naruto was going to learn some special jutsu that ordinary ninja couldn't learn. Although he knew that probably wouldn't be the case, it still would've been cool.

Before Jiraiya answered, two shadow clones appeared next to him and began walking about the area. Every now and then, the clones would lean down and engrave something on the soil. Naruto watched what was happening in interest before the clones dispelled. "That's better. Now no one can eavesdrop on us." It was an additional precaution.

"So what did the Hokage tell you to tell me?"

Jiraiya glanced at Kakashi for a moment before sighing and clearing his throat. "Naruto, what did the Hokage tell you about your parents?"

Nauto gave Jiraiya an odd look for a moment before exhaling slowly. "He told me they were both shinobi who died in the Kyuubi attack."

"Anything else?"

"Not really, no," Naruto replied. The old man hadn't ever explained much about Naruto's parents. Most of the time, if Naruto prodded him about it, the old man would say that he was busy or steered Naruto towards a different topic. Eventually, Naruto stopped asking as his mind became preoccupied with other things, such as pranks.

"Well, I'm going to tell you a secret."

"About my parents?" Naruto asked, maintaining a carefully neutral expression. When Jiraiya had mentioned parents, Naruto had become slightly suspicious. Mentioning something about a secret gave Naruto enough to make a connection. If he was wrong, then there wouldn't be much harm.

"Here I thought you weren't supposed to be smart," Jiraiya joked, cracking a small grin at the blonde. Naruto's face remained impassive, but he did quirk an eyebrow at the toad sage. "But yes, this is about your parents," Jiraiya confirmed, returning to a more serious state.

The blonde inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "So who were they?" he said in a low, thick voice. Jiraiya and Kakashi could both tell that he was holding his emotions back.

"I can only tell you this: your mother was a kunoichi named Uzumaki Kushina, and she had never been more happy to learn that she was pregnant with you," Jiraiya said, his expression slightly grim. "She loved you very much Naruto, regardless of the fact that you were going to become the Kyuubi's jinchuriki."

Both of the older ninja watched as Naruto sniffed slightly and looked up to meet Jiraiya's eyes. "She really loved me?" he asked, his voice full of hope.

"Yep. Loved you more than anyone I can remember, except for maybe her husband," Jiraiya said, a smile appearing on his face. "You act very much like her, to be honest."

Naruto smiled as well and closed his eyes, allowing the tears to flow down his cheeks. He wouldn't yell or cry loudly, but he was extremely happy. A funny feeling settled in his stomach; it reminded him of when he had been accepted by Iruka.

After sniffing and wiping his nose on the bandages wrapped around his arms, Naruto laughed to himself. "Heh... mom..." He looked back up at Jiraiya, who was still smiling at the blonde. "Did you know her?" he asked, not really caring that the information had been hidden from him at this point.

Jiraiya grinned. The boy seemed to be focusing on the information rather than the fact that it had been withheld from him. "Yeah, I knew her. Pretty girl with a mischievous side."

"Really?" Naruto asked, eyes wide with childish fascination. "What did she look like?"

Jiraiya reached into a pocket on the inside of his kimono and took out a photo. He handed the photo to Naruto, who handled it as if it were fragile glassware. Gazing intently at the photograph in his hand, Naruto was astonished at how his mother looked.

She had beautiful, long red hair that was reminiscent of the Uzumaki clan. Her eyes were a deep blue and she had flawless, pale skin. She was wearing a sleeveless blouse that was under a loose-fitting, long dress. Her photograph struck a chord within Naruto and he found himself crying again.

Sniffing once more, Naruto looked up to Jiraiya and asked, "Can I have this?" Jiraiya nodded kindly. Naruto grinned and held the photograph close to him. He didn't look anything like his mother, but Jiraiya had said that he had her personality. "Since I don't look much like my mom... do I get my looks from my dad?"

Glancing at Kakashi, Jiraiya slowly nodded. "You get most of your looks from your father, but your facial structure resembles your mother's," the man explained. Naruto surely wouldn't be able to guess who his father was with a vague answer... but maybe that wasn't the way to go.

Naruto squinted his eyes and looked up to the cloudy sky, trying to think about who he looked like. He did have blonde hair like Yamanaka Ino did, so maybe his father was someone from the Yamanaka clan?

That didn't fit everything though. No one in the Yamanaka clan that he had seen had hair such as his. They all had platinum blonde hair while his was more of a sun yellow. Most of their hair was smooth too, while his was messy and stuck up everywhere. "Hey Jiraiya-sensei, did any members of the Yamanaka clan die during the Kyuubi attack?" the blonde jinchuriki asked.

Jiraiya would have snorted, but that would have been disrespectful to those who gave their lives during that dreadful night. "Every clan sustained casualties, brat. Some more than others, but I believe the Yamanaka clan was one of the least affected since they couldn't do much against the fox."

Well, there was always a chance, Naruto thought. He had also been alone for so long and if he was born to a Yamanaka father, then the clan would have picked him up and given him a home. However, his last name was Uzumaki and not Yamanaka, making him doubt that being one of Ino's relatives was part of his heritage.

So then who could be his father? "Jiraiya-sensei... did you know my father?" Naruto slowly asked. If Jiraiya knew who his mother was, then there was a pretty damn high chance that he knew Naruto's father.

Kakashi remained silent, but he wished he could say something. It was not his actual responsibility, but he felt as if he owed the blonde that much. Jiraiya became impassive for a moment and appeared to be mulling how to answer Naruto's question in his head.

"I did know your father," Jiraiya finally said.

Naruto grit his teeth. Vague answers! The other one hadn't escaped his notice, but he hadn't thought much of it. "Why are you deliberately being vague?" Naruto queried, a frown etching itself on his features.

Jiraiya and Kakashi both blinked. They hadn't expected Naruto to be that perceptive. "Well," Jiraiya drawled, "Your father had a lot of enemies in his time. The Sandaime Hokage realized that if knowledge of your father was to become public, then there would be... problems."

Naruto stared at Jiraiya for a moment before nodding slowly, accepting that answer. So his father must have been pretty high-profile to warrant Naruto not having his name. That was probably part of the reason his last name was Uzumaki, too.

So Naruto asked himself the question: Who did he look like that was high-profile enough to have enemies capable of infiltrating Konoha and assassinating a jinchuriki? Surely there would be people who would seek to kill him just because he was a jinchuriki, but there would also be people who would kill him to seek revenge.

Naruto closed his eyes in an effort to remember what people had said regarding his looks. Usually, it wasn't much. It was mostly some comment regarding his hair or whisker-marks.

_Usually_.

The Mizukage and that secretarial woman had said that he bore a resemblance to the Yondaime Hokage. It was only a passing resemblance and Naruto could tell that he and the Yondaime Hokage somewhat shared the same hairstyle...

It would make sense, considering that the Yondaime Hokage had many enemies in Iwagakure and that the man had died during the Kyuubi attack. But that was ludicrous. Being the son of a Hokage that was widely recognized to be the most powerful of them all? Yeah, right.

Jinchuriki were usually related to village leaders so that they would remain loyal to the village.

Naruto snorted to himself. "Hey Jiraiya-sensei, do you have a photograph of the Yondaime Hokage?"

Jiraiya's expression froze and he gave Kakashi a hard look. The masked jounin frowned slightly, but didn't move. Naruto was confused by their reactions. "So do you guys have a picture or not?"

"We don't have a picture," Kakashi quickly said. Maybe that was a bit too quick, for Jiraiya gave Kakashi a short glare before refocusing on a now-suspicious Naruto.

Naruto didn't like the way the two men were acting. It was as if they were hiding something. That was obvious, however. It was related to the Yondaime Hokage and Naruto's father. "I'm getting kind of freaked out here. It's not like I'm the Yondaime Hokage's son, right?" Naruto laughed nervously.

Then he caught the widened eyes of Jiraiya and Kakashi before the two fixed their mishap. "I'm not the son of the Yondaime Hokage, am I?" Naruto asked again. When they didn't respond Naruto groaned, looking much older than he currently was. "I'm the god damn son of the Yondaime Hokage, aren't I?"

"Well..." Jiraiya said, smiling sheepishly. He hadn't wanted Naruto to find out this soon. He rubbed the back of his head before continuing, "You kind of... _are_ the son of the Yondaime Hokage. You weren't meant to find out, though. I'm guessing some people asked you why you looked like him?"

Despite finding out that his father was the one that sealed the Kyuubi within him, Naruto grinned widely. "Yep. Two people mentioned it to me and I made an assumption. But seriously, that's pretty neat. I'm from an old, fancy clan and the son of a Hokage? I swear, whoever is up there is bent on giving me bragging rights."

Jiraiya and Kakashi relaxed slightly, but they were both surprised at how Naruto was taking it. "You're not pissed at your old man for sealing the fox in you?" Jiraiya asked, raising an eyebrow.

Naruto shrugged. "Of course I'm pissed. You think going through all of that is fun?" Naruto shook his head, his grin turning into a small smile. "I'm not one for moping around though. Honestly, I'm just happy that I know who my parents are. By the way, what was my old man like?" the blonde jinchuriki asked curiously.

"Minato-sensei was-"

"Hang on, my dad was your sensei?" Naruto interrupted. That was surprising. "How come nobody mentioned it to me?"

"Well," Kakashi said, eye-smiling at the blonde, "I would've told you the Yondaime was my sensei if you had asked. I couldn't really tell you he was your father though." Kakashi sighed and then shook his head in regret. "Really, your father was a kind man and extremely adept at helping people. He was a pretty good teacher, too. But after he died, I ended up throwing myself into ANBU."

Naruto frowned. That last part hadn't been part of the question. Was Kakashi justifying why he couldn't have been there for him? That didn't really bother Naruto. Kakashi wouldn't have been that old and he most likely had other responsibilities on his mind. Plus, the man wasn't related to Naruto and it wasn't really _Kakashi's_ responsibility to take care of him.

"That's fine, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said. "So did he act like my mom and I?"

Jiraiya chuckled and waved his hand. "No, no. Your father was a genius. A true prodigy. He was also probably one of the quieter guys you'd meet. He was calculative, strong, and smart. Very different from you, actually."

"Gee, thanks," Naruto replied dryly, catching the minor jibe Jiraiya had thrown in. "So I look like my dad, but act like my mom?"

"Pretty much," Jiraiya said. "They were both very kind people, however. You have a lot to do if you want to live up to them."

"I do want to be Hokage, so I might as well top them while I'm at it," Naruto mused, rubbing his chin. Then he pumped his right arm in the air. "Yeah, I'll definitely be a better Hokage than my dad was!"

"Well then, we better start training, right? You're only a genin, after all," Kakashi commented. Of course, rank didn't always mean everything.

"Right," Jiraiya murmured. He bit his thumb, flipped through some seals, and planted his palms on the ground. With a puff of smoke, the orange toad that he had been riding before appeared, only this time the toad had a large scroll in his mouth. "The first thing I want you to do is sign this."

"What's "this"?" Naruto asked, eying the large toad dubiously.

"That," Kakashi began, gesturing towards the scroll in the toad's mouth, "Is the summoning contract for the toads. Minato-sensei signed it and Jiraiya-sama over here wants you to walk in his footsteps."

A summoning contract? That would help. His father had signed it before him and if the Yondaime Hokage had used it, then the contract must have been useful. "All right, what do I do?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya chuckled and gestured to the large toad. It extended its tongue, and consequently, the scroll, and offered both to a disturbed Naruto. Despite being disgusted, the blonde took the scroll from the toad's tongue and rolled it out on the ground. He could make out a variety of names, along with the names _Jiraiya_ and _Namikaze Minato_.

"So here's what you do," Jiraiya began. He pointed to the signatures and fingerprints below the names. "Slice your palm open with a kunai and write your full name down in blood. Once you've done that, put your fingerprint down in blood as well. With that complete, you'll be a full summoner of the toads." Somewhat. He still needed to complete Gamabunta's challenge, but this wasn't the place to do it.

Naruto did as he was told, slicing open his palm with a kunai and writing down his signature, _Uzumaki Naruto_, in blood. After he placed his fingerprints below his name and rolled the scroll up, the toad's tongue snapped it up. Both the contract and the toad vanished in a puff of smoke directly afterward.

Jiraiya nodded approvingly. "Great job, brat. You're now an official summoner of the toads."

"So... now what?"

Jiraiya gave the blonde a deadpan look. "What do you think, brat? We're going to spend the next few hours attempting to get you to summon a toad."

Naruto gave Jiraiya an incredulous look. A few hours? How hard could it be to summon a toad? A few hours, too? That... felt useless. It felt like it would be a waste of time. No exercise, no actual movement, no learning new jutsu. Just a few hand seals. Wait, how was he supposed to summon them? "How am I supposed to summon toads?" Naruto asked, gazing up at Jiraiya with confused eyes.

The toad sage groaned to himself. Naruto was a bit more dense than his father was. The Yondaime had memorized the seals after Jiraiya summoned the scroll bearer. Naruto... not so much. "I thought that you would've had enough foresight to memorize the hand seals I was moving..." Jiraiya smirked at Naruto's irritated growl. "I'm kidding, brat. The seals are Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram," Jiraiya explained, slowly moving through its seal so that Naruto could memorize them. "By the way, you need to offer some blood."

The blonde jinchuriki thought back to when Jiraiya first summoned the toad. The man had bitten his thumb to draw blood before running through the seals, so Naruto decided to follow that example. "How much chakra should I use, though?" Naruto asked.

"I doubt you'll be able to summon anything other than a tadpole on your first try, so just dump as much chakra as you can into the jutsu."

Kakashi paled. He cleared his throat and caught the attention of Jiraiya. "I don't think that's a good idea, Jiraiya-sama. I've been working on Naruto's chakra control and I'm fairly sure he could summon something big if he tried." With chakra flow and all of the other exercises Kakashi had insisted that Naruto complete, the blonde's control had skyrocketed.

Jiraiya merely shrugged. "Eh, have him give it a shot. Not even I could summon a toad on my first try." That was actually true, humorously enough. Rather than summoning a toad, Jiraiya had ended up reverse-summoning himself to Mount Myoboku. His old sensei had gotten quite a laugh out of that.

Kakashi gulped and jumped back, much to Jiraiya's surprise. Surely the blonde brat couldn't control his large reservoir of chakra that well?

The maniacally grinning face of the blonde said otherwise. With a large surge of chakra, Naruto bit his thumb, ran through the required seals, and slammed his palms onto the ground. There was a massive amount of smoke, followed by a loud bellow.

The toad sage nearly pissed himself. Kakashi, having prepared himself for such a thing happening, was much better off.

"**Jiraiya!**" Gamabunta bellowed. Luckily, the seals Jiraiya had placed were holding, so no one in Kirigakure would be scared silly by Gamabunta's bellow. His appearance would still raise questions that Jiraiya would have to answer. Oh, boy...

Jiraiya whimpered as Gamabunta looked down. Seriously, what did he do to deserve this? "Hey, 'Bunta! Nice seeing you here in cloudy Kirigakure," Jiraiya nervously said to the giant, annoyed toad.

"**What's the big idea summoning me? There's nothing going on around here!**"

"Gamabunta-sama, Jiraiya-sama was not the one who summoned you," Kakashi called out.

The giant toad turned its gaze to Kakashi, making the silver-haired man sweat under his intense gaze. "**No one can summon me but Jiraiya! No one else is even our summoner!**"

"Hey, I did!" Gamabunta looked up, but saw nothing. Naruto, realizing that the gigantic toad he had summoned couldn't see anything, jumped down to the ground. The giant red toad had a scarred face, a giant pipe hanging from his mouth, and a sheathed tanto attached to his side. "Hey, giant toad guy! I summoned you!" Naruto yelled, hoping that his voice would reach the toad's ears.

The toad looked down at the blonde before bursting out into laughter. This ended up causing Naruto to get angrier and angrier while Jiraiya tried to figure out how he was going to talk his way out of the situation. "**You? Another blonde brat like you needs to get my respect before you can summon me!**" Gamabunta boomed.

"Yeah, another blonde brat. At least I summoned you first!" Naruto shouted back, his temper peaking. "Seriously, Jiraiya-sensei here tells me to dump chakra into this summoning jutsu and I _might_ get a toad. Well, I do just that and summon the biggest damn toad I've seen in my life and I get yelled at for it! If you're so damn irritable at being summoned, then why are you even a summon animal?"

Gamabunta snorted at the blonde's tirade. "**Huh, you might look like that other blonde brat but you have the same loud mouth as his female friend,**" the giant toad muttered. Since he was so large, the 'mutter' ended up being a 'rumble' that caused Naruto's ears to ring. _Again_, he might add.

"Yeah, those two were my parents!" Naruto yelled back. The female could have been someone else, but he was told that he had his mother's personality, so he might as well make another assumption.

Gamabunta raised a massive eyebrow. "**You? The son of Minato?**" Gamabunta would never have believed it if he hadn't seen it. He had heard some things about the son of Minato and Kushina, but nothing very important or informing at all.

Naruto grinned widely at the toad. "Yep. You're looking at Uzumaki Naruto, the guy who's going to be Hokage and top both of his parents!"

Both summoner and summon stared at each other for a long moment before Gamabunta took a puff on his massive pipe. "**I like you, brat. You've got spunk. You say you summoned me here on your first try?**" Naruto nodded in pride. "**I guess that deserves some praise. Nice job, brat. But hear me out!**" Gamabunta bellowed, causing everyone to wince. "**Only summon me in an emergency, brat. You're years too young to work alongside me right now.**"

The toad then turned his gaze to a slightly trembling Jiraiya. "**And you, Jiraiya! Hook this kid up with some of my alcohol the next time he's free.**" Naruto gave the giant toad a confused look for a moment before the toad laughed. "**It was nice meeting you, Uzumaki Naruto. I'm Gamabunta, boss of the toads. Remember what I said and the next time we meet, we'll have a drink together!**" Then the boss of the toads vanished in a giant puff of smoke.

Naruto blinked and turned to a stunned Jiraiya. "Well... I think I did good," the blonde jinchuriki cheekily mused. He took great pleasure in seeing the stunned expressions on Jiraiya's visage.

"Yeah... you did well, brat... you did well..." Jiraiya shook his head in wonderment, completely amazed at how Naruto had managed to pump that much chakra into one jutsu. _Kakashi wasn't lying_, Jiraiya thought.

"Can I learn some new jutsu now?" Naruto eagerly asked. He began to bounce on his heels again before Kakashi made a 'settle-down' motion with his hands. It didn't really help calm Naruto down. The blonde did deserve to be excited, considering what he had just done.

"I was going to send you off to Kakashi if you had enough chakra left over after this, but I guess I'll help you out some more," Jiraiya stated, crossing his arms on his chest. "First things first: moderate the amount of chakra you put into the Summoning Jutsu. A larger amount of chakra might grant you larger toads, but you should experiment a bit when you're with me. There are a variety of toads and different toads do different things."

"Like what?"

"Well," Jiraiya began, "Some can breathe fire. Others can spit out massive amounts of water, and still others can expel oil from their stomach. Many more can use jutsu and can combine your jutsu with theirs to form more offensively oriented attacks. You ever hear of collaboration jutsu?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, remembering how his Fuuton jutsu could bolster Sasuke's Katon jutsu. "My teammate and I can work together to make his Katon jutsu larger."

Jiraiya was not surprised. Naruto's file had stated that he had an affinity towards wind. "Right, your affinity is wind. Don't act so surprised; I read your file. But yes, with your Fuuton jutsu, you can augment the power of the toad's attacks."

"Is that it?" Naruto questioned, not really caring how Jiraiya knew of his affinity. His sensei had probably told him.

"For the toads it is," Jiraiya answered. "There are other abilities the toads have, but you need a wider repertoire of jutsu and much more training before you can utilize them. For now, just stick to summoning toads when you need help. We'll work on moderating your chakra output for your summons later."

"So that means tomorrow," Naruto remarked. At Jiraiya's short nod, he continued. "So what are you going to be teaching me now?"

Jiraiya smirked. "First, I want you to read this whenever you aren't training." Jiraiya threw a book at Naruto that the blonde easily caught. The book was titled _Intricacies of Sealing_, by...

"My dad wrote this?" Naruto questioned, raising both of his eyebrows. It was a book on sealing, given the title.

"That he did. You want to know who helped teach him the secrets of sealing?" Jiraiya waggled his eyebrows as if he was telling Naruto something that was lecherous in nature.

Naruto decided to take a wild guess. "My mom?" he dryly said. "She was from the Uzumaki clan, who were renown for their sealing prowess."

"Actually, yes. You're right, brat. Both of your parents were seal masters of the highest degree, so if you expect to live up to them, you've got to become proficient at sealing."

"By reading?" Naruto said in slight disgust. He flipped through some of the pages, not really caring about the amount of text crammed in them.

"Think of it as extra training, Naruto," Kakashi supplied, who had been watching the exchange in silence. When Naruto looked up at him, Kakashi elaborated. "Sealing is an obscure and powerful art. Not many people get far in the field, but everyone who makes a decent amount of progress is recognized." That managed to catch Naruto's attention.

"All right," Naruto said with conviction, "I'll read this when I'm not training. I'll get through it by the time the month is done and live up to my parents' name."

In actuality, Jiraiya had no intention of educating Naruto in the art of sealing for the moment. It was very difficult to... _teach_ sealing. It was mostly trial and error with the different parameters and meanings each of the multitude of symbols gave you. Jiraiya was hoping to unlock something else within Naruto during the month he had for training.

"I'm glad you have determination," Jiraiya noted approvingly. He grinned maniacally at the blonde. "Kakashi and I are going to be driving you pretty hard this month."

Kakashi took out some bands from his pouch. "By the way, we want you to wear these," Kakashi informed, handing the black, leathery bands over to Naruto.

The blonde accepted and examined the strange bands. "What are they?"

"Those," Jiraiya explained, "Are a special kind of weights. They have special seals on them that can change how heavy they can be."

Realization dawned on Naruto. "So this is meant to make me faster," he stated. Jiraiya and Kakashi both confirmed the blonde's thoughts. Naruto quickly strapped the things onto each arm and leg. As soon as he did so, Kakashi flipped through some seals, which caused the bands to glow blue for a moment before reverting back to their black color. Naruto instantly noticed the weight increase.

"Get used to wearing those things, for we'll be making them heavier as the month goes on." Naruto gulped at what Jiraiya said. "And now for something completely different..."

Naruto straightened, ready to learn from his new sensei.

"What do you know about Yin-Yang Release?"

**VvVvV**

(With Kakashi and Naruto)

"So, are you feeling the burn yet?"

"Not really, no," Naruto answered with a grin. Kakashi rolled his eyes. The boy's stamina was enough to get him through most exercises, which was why the masked jounin had ended up amplifying the weight of the bands more often than he had predicted.

"All right. It's been a few days since we've started working on your new jutsu," Kakashi stated. "I've taught you a wider diversity of jutsu and you've gotten them down astonishingly fast, although I suppose the clones are to blame for that."

Naruto shrugged. "If I can abuse them, I will." Would it be abuse, though? For anyone else, possibly. To Naruto, fifty clones allocated to practicing each of the jutsu he learned, it wasn't. Sometimes he would whine to Kakashi about learning more things, but the jounin was strict. Overusing the knowledge aspect of the clones could have consequences that Kakashi didn't want to invoke.

"I believe the jutsu you have right now are good enough for the time being, so I'm going to teach you your father's original jutsu."

Naruto's eyes widened. "The Rasengan?" Naruto might have been rather dull in some topics, but he knew a _lot_ about his father. He know about the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, the Rasengan, and how the man was a seal master.

Kakashi nodded and brought up his right hand. Clutching it with his left, a ball of blue energy spun into existence. The loud, screeching sound it emitted was music to Naruto's ears. "This is the Rasengan. Your father never completed the jutsu, just so you know. Do you know how long it took Minato-sensei to create this?"

"Years," Naruto whispered in awe. It had taken the Yondaime three years to complete the Rasengan.

Kakashi nodded. "Correct. However, I believe you can master it over the course of a month." The "via gratuitous use of shadow clones" went unsaid since Naruto was sure to use that to his fullest advantage.

The blonde jinchuriki beamed at Kakashi. "You really think I can do it, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi chuckled at the blonde. "You are the most unpredictable ninja in Konoha, Naruto." Kakashi cleared his throat and dove into an explanation regarding the mechanics of the Rasengan. "The Rasengan is a jutsu that was created by your father after he brought the shape transformation of his chakra to the highest possible point."

Naruto stood and absorbed the information, recalling when Kakashi had mentioned nature and shape transformation months ago. Kakashi then walked over to a nearby tree and slammed his Rasengan into it, causing the tree to splinter apart and explode in a shower of splinters. "The Rasengan is a compacted sphere of swirling and rotating chakra. Because of this, it possesses much destructive potential.

"There are three steps to learning the Rasengan." Kakashi walked over to a box that he had brought with him while he and Naruto were walking to the training field. He leaned down and took out a sloshing water balloon and threw it to Naruto, who caught it without much trouble. "The first step is rotation. Rotate the water within this balloon in order to pop it. Once you have popped the balloon, the step is complete."

"And I'm supposed to use chakra control for this, right Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto questioned.

"Right. You need to use control to rotate your chakra into a sphere, which should cause the water to follow the motions. If you need any additional help, don't hesitate to ask." The jounin eye-smiled at Naruto. "That's what a sensei is for, right?"

"Right," Naruto echoed. Taking a deep breath to focus himself, Naruto began channeling his chakra. He would master the Rasengan before the next three weeks were over!

The chakra in the palm holding the water balloon came to life and began to spin in a flat, clockwise direction. As Naruto kept up the power, he began to sweat from the focus. Instead of the balloon popping, it began to flatten and compress, with the sides jutting out from the rotation.

Kakashi watched on in interest, wondering what Naruto was going to do. If the blonde attempted to increase the power, the jutsu would spiral out of power and fade, resulting in failure.

The balloon slowly returned to its original state, notifying Kakashi that Naruto had failed. The blonde wasn't deterred, however. This time, the blonde tried rotating his chakra in a different direction, with largely the same result. After about two hours of failing to pop the balloon, Naruto let it slip from his hands and pop over the grass.

Gasping heavily, Naruto grimaced at the state of his right hand. The skin was burnt from the chakra he had been expelling over such a long period of time and his palm felt sore for some reason. Naruto looked up to where Kakashi was watching him. "Hey Kakashi-sensei, what am I doing wrong? No matter how much I try, I can't get the balloon to pop."

Kakashi hummed in thought. "Have you tried rotating it in varying directions?" Naruto nodded. "Well, rather than rotating it in one direction, waiting, and then rotating your chakra in another direction, try rotating your chakra in different directions at once."

Naruto stared at Kakashi in confusion. He was grateful for the help, but rotating chakra in several different directions at once? Maybe it wasn't that different than chakra flow and how he rubbed his chakra together to create sharp blades of air. Only, except of making the blades grind against each other, he was making his chakra rotate.

Naruto took out his right gauntlet and strapped it on, much to Kakashi's confusion. He focused intently on the claw, feeling his chakra begin to take shape in the form of a deadly, invisible blade. He decided to try out what he had been doing wrong and held out his palm.

Like before, he began rotating chakra in a flat, clockwise motion. Naruto felt the chakra naturally compress as he increased the speed. He could hear a very low, subtle humming from the chakra he was emanating. Walking over to a nearby tree, Naruto moved his still-flat palm over to the bark.

Nothing happened. The invisible, spiraling chakra simply lost cohesion and vanished when it made contact with the tree. The blonde had expected as much, but he was curious. He was sure he had gone off-track, but he felt that this would help him complete the first stage in mastering the Rasengan.

He tried again. This time, he added wind chakra to his palm while spinning the chakra. The humming increased in tone, allowing Kakashi to catch it. When he made contact with the bark, a thin slit appeared and began to deepen as Naruto moved his hand forward.

The blonde retracted his right hand and looked at it. That was rotation with some wind chakra thrown in. What if...?

Kakashi wondered what was going on in Naruto's head. He had created a spinning blade of wind that could cut through things, but it didn't seem to help. Kakashi was glad that Naruto had had a stroke of inspiration, though. Using wind chakra as inspiration was rather dangerous, though.

Especially with an incomplete jutsu such as the Rasengan. Kakashi would have to pay closer attention in order to make sure Naruto wouldn't hurt or kill himself.

Pop.

Kakashi blinked. Already? How had he...?

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, what's the next step?"

Kakashi outright laughed at Naruto. "Very impressive. How did you do it?" he asked curiously.

"I have my ways..." Naruto shiftily answered. What he had done was the same thing as when he had first tried, but spun the rotating chakra _around_ while it was moving clockwise. His chakra caused two different rotations to afflict the water within the balloon, eventually causing it to pop over the stress.

"Very well. However, we'll go over the next step tomorrow. For now, I want you to run."

"Eh?"

The masked jounin didn't take any extra time in chasing after Naruto with a kunai in an attempt to push him past his limits. It wasn't usually what they did, but Naruto had completed the first step of the Rasengan quicker than Kakashi thought he would, and so they ended up with an extra few hours left.

**VvVvV**

(With Jiraiya and Naruto)

Jiraiya examined the gauntlets Naruto was wearing. He hummed in thought for a moment before chuckling. "Well, they're decently made, I'll tell you that. They do give you a disadvantage in the heat of battle, though."

The blonde jinchuriki frowned. "A disadvantage? What do you mean?" The gauntlets increased Naruto's offensive power to the point where if he swiped at you, you would have to back away quite fast in order to escape injury.

"I'm not saying they're bad, I'm just saying that if you haven't equipped them, it becomes crippling when you're in a fight. These aren't like a sword, brat. You can unsheathe a sword and begin swinging, but with these you need to strap one on, and then the other before you can start dealing some damage."

That was correct. Most of the time, Naruto would equip his gauntlets before he engaged an enemy in battle, but if he was ambushed, it would be difficult to find the time to use them. It would result in him being distracted and in a battle, such a thing could be fatal.

"So what do I do?" Naruto asked, looking at the gauntlets he was currently wearing.

Jiraiya smirked. "Fortunately, I have an easy solution for you. Sealing the gauntlets within your hands will solve all of your problems."

"Really?" Naruto asked excitedly. He had read a chapter into the book Jiraiya had given him and while it seemed complicated, it was really intriguing. Each symbol did a small task and when combined with other symbols, could do larger tasks or even do something completely different. It felt like a large-scale puzzle, only if you messed up the consequences were worse.

Thankfully, Naruto was rather durable and wasn't prone to bleeding out.

Jiraiya nodded. "Most definitely, brat. Now take them off and I'll seal them." Naruto did as he was told and the toad sage took the pair of gauntlets from the blonde's hands. With both gauntlets in his left hand, Jiraiya took out a brush, hooked it behind his ear, and placed an inkwell on the grass below.

Dipping the brush into the inkwell, Jiraiya leaned back up and began writing on the gauntlets. After a few seconds, he finished writing the symbols on the gauntlets. "Hold these while I finish writing the seals on your hands." Naruto accepted the gauntlets and shivered as the cool ink washed over his skin.

When Jiraiya was done, he instructed Naruto to carefully reequip the gauntlets. Once that was done, Jiraiya clapped his hands together and yelled, "Seal!" A feeling of burning overcame Naruto's hands and he clenched his jaw to prevent from crying out in pain. The feeling only lasted about ten seconds and once it faded, the gauntlets vanished in a puff of smoke. The spiraling symbols on Naruto's palms remained, however.

"When you want to unseal your gauntlets, swipe some blood on the seals and channel your chakra into it. Not the Kyuubi's chakra, mind you, but your own."

Naruto nodded, bit both of his thumbs, and swiped blood on each palm with the opposite thumb in a flourish while channeling chakra. Both gauntlets materialized in his hands, as snug as they would have been if Naruto had strapped them on. He gave a few practice swipes before grinning. They still felt as natural as they should after dozens of hours of practice. "So how do I reseal them?" the blonde questioned.

"Channel some chakra to your palms again and say 'Seal'," Jiraiya instructed. Naruto did as he was told and watched his gauntlets vanish in a puff of smoke. "Cool, right? And that's only the mere basics of sealing," Jiraiya boasted.

"Yeah well, the mere basics sealed away a giant fox into my gut," Naruto muttered. If the basics could do that, then what could the higher levels of sealing do?

"That's a bit more than basic, brat, but I guess I'll give you that one. Anyway, I think I've got a solution to our problem."

Naruto perked up. "Really?"

"Yup. You see those bandages of those on your arms? What were they for in the first place?"

The blonde jinchuriki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "When I was learning chakra flow, I kind of hurt myself every now and then. The bandages helped stem the blood loss."

Jiraiya winced. "Ouch, brat. Jeez, didn't Kakashi stop you or anything? You'd think a sensei would stop a student from hurting himself..." the man muttered.

Naruto shrugged. "It usually happened when I was training on my own," the blonde explained. "Kakashi-sensei never really saw it happen." Jiraiya frowned at that. "So what about these bandages?"

The toad sage grinned. "I think they can stabilize form until you can do it yourself."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Seriously? These things?"

"I've seen it happen with weirder things, brat. Hair, wire, and twine are just some examples." Tsunade had done them all to Jiraiya when they were younger, but she eventually stopped once she delved into the field of medicine.

"Let's try it."

"You got it, brat. We're on a timer, so give it your all."

* * *

><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: I hope the double sensei thing isn't ridiculous. Sasuke has Itachi and Shisui, while Naruto has Kakashi and Jiraiya. Also, I'm sorry if there's too much angst or drama or whatever. The assumptions Naruto made are... well, I don't think they're that crazy. He's more perceptive and he's not that dumb.**

**Naruto can't stay mad at Minato. It's his damn dad, for crying out loud. Take a different look at when Minato sealed the Kyuubi. Kushina was going to die, but Minato decided to sacrifice himself so that while the Kyuubi would be sealed within Naruto, so would Kushina... and she would get a chance to see her son. Much less terrible, eh?**

**Naruto does not know that Jiraiya is his godfather. Not yet, anyway...**

**Naruto has a lot of potential, too. Kakashi limits the clones he can use, but he still blasts through everything by shoving chakra into it. Summoning Gamabunta is cliché, I know, but I think it would happen considering the control exercises he's done.**

**Anyway, read, review, and if you have any questions, send me a PM (or leave a review). Please notify me if there are any glaring errors or contradictions so I can fix them.**


	18. Tournament: Part 1

**A/N: A guest mentioned that I go into narrative too often. I guess I'm just trying to explain the situation?  
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*****This chapter was going to be too long so I'm splitting it into two parts****

* * *

><p>Chapter Eighteen: Tournament: Part 1<p>

"Ugh... why do Konoha ninja always ruin my businesses?" a short, chubby man said. His arms and body were bound to a chair that he was sitting on and there were two women glaring at him in his own office room.

"You've been affiliated with Konoha ninja before?" one of the women asked, raising an eyebrow through her glare. Her arms were folded underneath her considerable assets, although anyone who stared for more than two seconds would end up as a smear on a nearby wall.

Gato sneered at the women in front of him. "Konoha meddles too much." The women waited for him to continue, but it was obvious he wasn't going to cooperate. Tsunade uncrossed her arms and slowly walked up to the criminal, causing him to begin sweating nervously. "H-Hey now, there's no reason to be rough..."

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't be," Tsunade snarled, her patience beginning to run thin. When she and Shizune had entered the area, they had immediately encountered lecherous bandits trafficking drugs, money, and occasionally, human slaves.

Tsunade was many things, but she was not ignorant and cruel. It had taken some time, but the slug princess had managed to pull herself together. She resolved to help people on her travels, as well as spreading selective information about medical jutsu. She had lost her brother and lover years ago and she wasn't about to allow other people to feel that kind of pain.

That was why, after a few days of snooping, Tsunade and Shizune had found out about Gato. He had suddenly appeared a few months ago and taken control of the area with his immense reserves of money. His presence had immediately destroyed whatever semblance of an economy the area used to have and his hired muscle had terrorized the inhabitants.

"Fine, fine!" Gato yelled, attempting and failing to back away from Tsunade's advancing form. "Some team booted me out of the Land of Waves a few months ago!"

"And?" Tsunade pressed.

Gato groaned to himself. "I came here and took control of their trade routes. Not like it makes a big difference anyway," the bound-up criminal muttered.

"Why doesn't it make a difference?" Shizune questioned. When Gato clapped his mouth shut, Shizune took out some senbon from within her sleeves and aimed them at a very sensitive part of Gato's body.

Shaking in fear, the man relented. "All right, all right! Just keep those things away from me!" When the offending projectiles were lowered, Gato continued. "Ninja are attacking and stealing whatever wares we have. Money, drugs, weapons... some ninja are ambushing my caravans."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. They were in the Land of Fire and Konoha ninja were not supposed to do that. Even if it was essentially a pirated caravan, news would spread from the surrounding area and result in Konoha losing mission money. "What did the ninja look like, scum?" Tsunade asked.

This time, Gato decided to cooperate. "W-Well, we never really got a good look at them. Most of the time, my mercenaries were slaughtered." Tsunade began tapping her foot impatiently. "The only thing the survivors noticed were that they had forehead protectors with musical notes on them. I swear, that's all we know!"

Tsunade and Shizune exchanged glances. "Maybe it's time to return to Konoha... might be nice seeing home again," Tsunade mused. She ignored the squirming of the man in front of her. It wasn't as if anyone was going to help him; she and Shizune had made that there would be no interruptions in their little chat with Gato.

"Tsunade-sama, if there are foreign shinobi operating in the Land of Fire-"

"I know, Shizune," Tsunade interrupted, cutting her apprentice off. The slug princess turned to Shizune and shook her head. "We're going to be heading home. Foreign shinobi operating in the Land of Fire are usually monitored depending on what they do. How long have the attacks been occurring for?" Tsunade asked Gato.

The chubby man snorted. "Weeks. Stupid fools cost me half my fortune!" The man had a disgusted expression on his face, as if him losing money was more despicable than the way he had first obtained it.

Both kunoichi narrowed their eyes. Foreign ninja had been attacking caravans for weeks and yet, nothing had been done to stop them? If anything, scouts would have been sent out if Konoha caught word of the attacks. The ambushes were being done in secret and were from ninja that weren't quite identifiable.

They were essentially incursions on Konoha territory, especially since they hadn't even been stopped. Konoha-nin did not take weeks to remove such a problem.

"Yeah, we're going home. If anything, there might be something going on," Tsunade said before turning around and beginning to exit the room. "Come on, Shizune. Let's go. I guess it's time to see the old man again." Shizune nodded and followed her mentor out of the office. Both women ignored Gato's pleading.

When they were safely out of Gato's semi-built estate, Tsunade placed her hands together in a ram hand seal, activating the exploding tags she had littered the building with.

**VvVvV**

(Kirigakure Arena)

Tenten sat down next to her father in the arena seats. The arena was _huge_. It was a large, circular stadium where the seats were elevated and surrounded the battlefield. Although the seats her and her father were sitting in weren't cushioned or anything, she knew that the more expensive ones did have pricey padding attached to them.

There were several sections where certain people would sit. Civilians had a designated area that was as safe as possible from misfired attacks and officials had more expensive seats that gave a better view of the battle below... if that was what they chose to watch. There was apparently another way to view the battles that the Mizukage was planning on unveiling.

Most of the other seats were for ninja, both visiting and local. It was where Tenten and her father were sitting.

Although she was still a bit sore, the bun-haired kunoichi had healed up rather nicely. Her three-week-long stay in the medical bay had been annoying, but thankfully, the monotony was broken every now and then by her teammates. Naruto and- oddly enough- Sasuke had also visited her, although on separate occasions. She had congratulated them both on passing and was happy for their company.

Now, she was waiting to see who would be fighting who. Despite not passing, Tenten was still excited to see how far her comrades would go before falling in battle. There really was nothing that got the blood flowing more than watching two ninja fight, even if it was in a controlled environment.

"Hey, can we sit here?"

The weapon-using kunoichi turned her attention to the owner of the voice. "Oh, yeah. I'm just sitting here with my dad, but you guys can sit next to me. You're Sakura, aren't you? And you are...?" Tenten asked.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino," the blonde girl answered, grinning at her fellow Konoha kunoichi. "Sorry, but there weren't any other seats and we wanted to sit next to people from Konoha."

Iwao snorted and Tenten giggled at the blonde. "That's fine."

"So, your teammates passed," Sakura began. Ino glanced at Tenten, paying a bit of attention to the beginning of the conversation while her blue eyes scanned the arena.

Tenten nodded. "Yeah. I ended up getting hurt pretty badly during the second exam."

"I wish you would tell me who did that to you," Iwao lowly said. "Anyone who hurts my little girl-"

"I get it dad," Tenten flatly said, rubbing her brow in slight embarrassment. "What about you two?"

"Nope," Sakura replied, shaking her head. "I need to... reevaluate myself and Ino's team didn't get to pass. You told me Chouji ended up getting hurt, right?" The pink-haired kunoichi made sure to shift the focus to some other topic.

"Oh yeah," Ino muttered, nodding her head. "Chouji got punctured by some weird guy with a bloodline limit and Shikamaru wanted to pull out afterwards." The blonde shrugged. "There's always next time, anyway. At least we can see how far Sasuke-kun will go."

Tenten snickered. "'Sasuke-kun'? He really wasn't lying, was he?" Tenten mused. At the puzzled looks of her comrades, she elaborated. "While I was recovering, Sauske paid me a visit. So did my teammates and Naruto."

"Must have been boring cooped up in that bed all day," Sakura murmured.

Tenten was about to reply, but the appearance of an examiner on the field distracted her. A man with long, light-colored hair, a black muscle shirt, and gray shinobi pants walked around the field. People began to quiet down as the examiner drew attention to himself.

He flipped through some seals and began to speak, his voice amplified by the jutsu he had just completed. "Welcome to the third round of the chunin exams! My name is Mangetsu and I will be the proctor for the next series of battles. Before I continue, Mizukage-sama would like to have a word."

"Thank you, Mangetsu." The calm, authoritative voice of Yagura, amplified like the proctor, boomed through the stands. "As the Yondaime Mizukage of Kirigakure, it is my honor to declare these exams officially open." A loud chorus of cheers echoed throughout the arena. "Before we begin, I would like you to direct your attention to the chairs in front of you. For the officials, it will be located on the nearby railings."

Everyone wondered just what the Mizukage was talking about. When Tenten looked to the seat in front of her, she noticed a strange seal inscribed directly onto the seat. "Now then, please remain calm as members of our unique clan, the Yuki, complete the network," Yagura stated.

People noticed quite a bit of shinobi standing at the edges of the stands, all of which had a common clan symbol. They were all also running through a set of seals, although most of them weren't quite distinguishable from Tenten's point of view.

The seal inscribed on the backs of each seat began to glow, eliciting gasps from many people within the audience. Ice formed above the seal, coalescing into what looked like a small mirror. The mirrors were cool to the touch and did not seem exude moisture.

Below, larger mirrors began to appear and adorn the walls that encircled the arena. With a loud clap, the Yuki clan members finished their sequences, causing images to appear on each mirror. With a start, Tenten noticed that the icy mirrors were displaying the image of the arena below, proctor and all. She realized that it was another way to view the upcoming battles.

"Amazing..." Tenten heard Sakura whisper. The pink-haired kunoichi was rubbing a finger on the surface of the mirror. Although the image rippled, it did not completely waver, nor did it give any indication that it would end up melting.

The amount of chakra needed to sustain such a thing would have been staggering. Luckily, Yagura had foreseen the obvious dilemma and had issued chakra batteries to be created and distributed. With the amount of chakra being channeled, the network of mirrors would be able to last for quite a while before failing to function. It was enough to sustain the mirrors for all of the matches and much more.

"Since the stands are quite high, this special jutsu was constructed for your viewing pleasure," Yagura explained, his loud voice reverberating throughout the stadium. "With that said, please refrain from attempting to excessively damage the mirrors and please enjoy the upcoming battles." Claps and cheers followed Yagura as he backed away and sat in his own seat, next to both the Hokage and the Raikage.

"Very impressive, Mizukage-dono," Sarutobi Hiruzen praised. In front of the seats of the high-level ninja were mirrors, suspended in mid-air by a plume of ice connected to their bases. Each mirror had an image of the arena below.

Yagura acknowledged the compliment by nodding his head. The Raikage grinned slightly. "Finally, we get front-row seats and an easy way to view the exams. This is pretty useful." Again, Yagura nodded, although this time he had a smirk on his face.

The cheers began to increase in volume as the first two contestants walked up to the field.

**VvVvV**

Naruto arrived at the assigned waiting room fifteen minutes before the tournament was supposed to begin. He partially blamed his sensei for that; the man had wanted Naruto to touch up his skills right up until the tournament started, but the blonde jinchuriki did not want to chance being disqualified.

Given the amount of people in the room, Naruto immediately realized he was the last one to enter. Groaning to himself, Naruto walked up to Sasuke and hung his head. "I guess everyone beat me here then?"

"Oh yeah," Sasuke replied mirthfully. His onyx eyes were laughing at his friend and he had a small smirk on his face. "You didn't miss who gets to fight who though. They're going to tell us five minutes beforehand."

Naruto was about to respond, but Lee appeared before them, his eyes wide due to his usual exuberance. "Hello, my friends! Are you both ready for a youthful series of battles?" Suddenly, the slightly cramped, plain waiting room the genin were in seemed to brighten up.

"Calm down, Lee," Neji said, joining the three males. The Hyuuga glanced at where the two Kumo kunoichi were standing every now and then, something that didn't go unnoticed by Naruto and Sasuke. There was something up with the foreign village, although they didn't quite know what was going on. It was sure to be a sore topic too, given how Hinata had acted beforehand.

"Decided to join us, did you?" Sasuke asked. The Uchiha leaned onto a nearby wall. "How far do you think you'll get?"

"Fate has decreed that I will win," the pale-eyed genius simply said.

"Not this again..." Naruto muttered, rolling his eyes in the process. He decided to tune out the conversation and looked around the room.

The Amegakure kunoichi with the striking red hair was glaring at him for some reason, the Kumo kunoichi were engaged in their own conversation, as were the Kiri-nin, and Fuu just waved at him when he looked at her. Hiro was pacing and not really paying attention to his surroundings.

Sasuke ignored Neji and turned to Lee. "Lee, who do you think you're going to fight?" the Uchiha asked the eccentric, spandex-wearing boy.

Lee flashed a smile that made Sasuke fight to stop from rubbing his eyes. "I do not know who I will face, Sasuke-kun, but the battle will surely show off our combined springtime of youth!"

Naruto snickered at Lee's speech. They only seemed to become more humorous as time went by.

Before any additional conversation could be made, the second set of doors in the room opened and a white-haired Kiri-nin with sharp teeth walked out. He grinned at the genin in front of him. "Heh, fresh meat. I'm Mangetsu, your proctor. Follow me, babies. We're going up."

The genin followed Mangetsu out of the room and outside into the cool morning air. They went up a flight of metal stairs and reached a viewing balcony that had another set of stairs on the opposite side leading down to the battlefield. "All right, so here's how it's going to go. Listen up Suigetsu, I won't repeat this twice."

"Fuck you!"

Mangetsu chuckled, much to the genin's confusion. "I'm going to give a little speech and then the Mizukage is going to give the go-ahead to activate our mirror network. Don't directly aim for them unless you're pulling a plan out of your ass and even then, the mirrors are nearly indestructible for ninja of your caliber."

Naruto gazed out into the arena in partial wonder. "A lot of people are going to be watching," he muttered. The blonde glanced down at his clenched hand, wondering if he was trembling from nervousness or anticipation. "Where are the mirrors?" Naruto asked, his mind going back to what Mangetsu had been saying.

"Ah... the Mizukage should explain some of it. Basically, one of our clans has a special ability to create icy mirrors that can give certain viewing pleasures to tourists."

Haku shuffled slightly from where she was standing.

"Just don't cause too much damage to them. Now then," Mangetsu said, taking out a slip of paper. "Can I have... Uzumaki Naruto and Uzumaki Karin? Huh, weird. Can I have you two prepare yourselves? You're the first two contestants."

Once the proctor and the Mizukage had finished their speeches, Naruto and Karin walked down the stairs and entered the battlefield. Sasuke, Lee, and Fuu wished Naruto good luck, but the blonde wasn't paying much attention to that.

What he was paying attention to was Karin's barely concealed hostility.

**VvVvV**

Up where the three Kage were sitting, Hiruzen and A both raised an eyebrow when the proctor called out the names for the first two fighters. That... was surprising. Two Uzumaki in the Kiri exams, but both of them were from different villages?

"Huh, two Uzumaki... never thought I'd see one again," A muttered to himself. He glanced at Hiruzen. "So, the blonde Uzumaki... is he really an Uzumaki?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Oh, yes. He's definitely an Uzumaki. He's certainly got the personality of one."

Yagura snorted. "What about the girl?" he asked. Nagato was an Uzumaki, but he was the only one Yagura really knew.

"Never heard of her," the Raikage replied. "The match is starting. Let's see who can beat who." All of the Kage fell silent, but the Raikage was deep in thought.

An Uzumaki with blonde hair that looked suspiciously like the Yondaime Hokage... He had a hunch as to who the blonde was related to, as well as who had given birth to him. The blonde's possible age could have corresponded to the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha years ago, too.

He hadn't initially believed Samui and her team when they mentioned the boy, but the failed mission so many years ago might have garnered something useful after all.

The only problem was what to do with that information.

**VvVvV**

(Naruto vs. Karin)

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" Naruto asked, scowling at the red-haired kunoichi who was glaring at him. "Do you have a problem with me?"

"Of course I do, _pretender_," Karin snarled back. She settled into a rigid taijutsu stance and redoubled her glare on the blonde. "You have no right to use that name!"

"Hey, I'm an Uzumaki too!" Naruto said, affronted. "You don't need to be so hostile!" Either Nagato hadn't mentioned anything about him, or the kunoichi didn't believe Nagato.

Instead of answering, the kunoichi dashed forward, exhibiting speed that caught Naruto off-guard. The ground was slightly wet and muddy, but Karin kept her balance as she closed in on the blonde.

With no time to form any hand seals, Naruto backpedaled away from the incoming kunoichi. He slipped over the muddy ground, but quickly regained his balance as he kept jumping back.

Karin sneered at the retreating blonde and produced several senbon from somewhere. Without any sign of hesitation at all, she began throwing the needles at Naruto. Her accuracy was not to scoff at and Naruto barely evaded the needles.

He did have to fight back eventually, though. With some distance now gained from his foe, Naruto flipped through some seals. _Suiton: Wild Water Wave__!_ Naruto's cheeks puffed up and he spit up a forceful spray of water. Karin was forced to abort her advance and sharply veered to her right to avoid the attack.

"Any half-assed shinobi can use Suiton jutsu," the redhead muttered. Flipping through some seals of her own, Karin used the increased amount of water on the field to create five water clones, each of which took out a handful of their own needles.

Naruto frowned. She had used the results of his jutsu against him, but he did have an ace against the needles. He didn't think it would cause him too much trouble to reveal that he could do Fuuton jutsu as well. Many other ninja could do those kinds of jutsu, after all.

Each water clone jumped away from the original, rapidly attempting to encircle the blonde jinchuriki. Naruto realized this and knew that if he actually was encircled, his rear end would probably end up riddled with pointy objects. That wasn't something he wanted, so he attempted to again retreat from the clones.

He had no such luck. The redhead's clones sped up before Naruto could retreat far enough, much to his irritation. Naruto sighed to himself. "Please don't aim for my behind. Sasuke would never let me hear the end of it."

Each of Karin's clones only narrowed their eyes before throwing their senbon at him in unison. "Damn it! Fuuton: Great Breakthrough!" Naruto yelled, aiming down at muddy ground and unleashing the fierce winds his jutsu generated.

That may have been too much to repel poisoned needles. It wasn't as if the poison could do much to his body to begin with, too. At least the jutsu did its job. It had kicked up dirt and mud all around the blonde, resulting in the needles being driven off-course or battered away. When the dust cleared, Naruto saw several stunned clones staring at him.

_I might have overdone it..._ Naruto shook his head and raised his arms, creating half a dozen clones to help combat Karin's clones. Each of Naruto's clones took off in the direction of Karin's clones. The majority were mowed down by additional needles.

One had to wonder where she got them all.

Two clones did make it to their targets and managed to take them out, but were also dispelled by the other water clones. The real Karin smirked at her advantage. Although some of her clones had been reduced to water, all of her foe's clones had been completely decimated. At the moment, it was one against four.

"Maybe you should give up, pretender," one of her clones yelled out.

"Stop calling me that, damn it!" Naruto shouted back. "I have a name, you know! Is it so hard to believe me?" Then again, they were ninja. Regardless, Naruto channeled chakra to his legs, intent on evening the odds.

With his shirt fluttering in the wind, Naruto appeared in front of one of the water clones and slammed his fist into its gut. It was reduced to harmless water and his sudden attack caused the other two clones, as well as the original, to react.

Each Karin clone began throwing metal needles at Naruto while the original brandished an umbrella that was on her back. The umbrella inverted itself and began spinning in the kunoichi's hands, launching a ridiculous amount of needles at where Naruto was heading.

Countless needles imbedded themselves in Naruto's flesh, causing him to falter... and poof into smoke. Karin's eyes widened as she realized just where her foe was truly hiding.

Before she could do anything, Karin felt a pair of hands grasp her ankles and shrieked as she was pulled down into the slightly muddy soil. She glared up as Naruto jumped out of the ground. He was covered in mud, but he was staring victoriously down at her.

Her water clones attempted to rush to her aid, but were dispatched by two other clones that also rose out of the ground. "Do you surrender?" Naruto asked.

Karin growled. "When did you hide yourself? How did you even know I was the real one?"

Naruto smirked at her. "I'll tell you if you surrender and if you acknowledge me as an Uzumaki. Well, maybe." The blonde leaned down to her face. "At least give me a chance."

Karin snarled at him. "How can I accept you as an Uzumaki when you remind me of everything I've lost? Do you have any idea how painful it was being alone until Nagato-sensei found me?" she cried.

Naruto's eyes softened. "Believe me... I know the pain of being alone. Hell, I know it better than anybody. That's no reason to hate, though. At least you have another family member, right?" Naruto grinned at the now-uncertain kunoichi.

Karin sighed in defeat and resolved to ask her sensei about the blonde Uzumaki. "Fine. I concede defeat..." Naruto helped her out of the muddy soil before performing a rudimentary Suiton jutsu to rinse the mud off of his body. His fellow Uzumaki did the same before both left the battlefield, one being escorted off by a medic.

Mangetsu announced the winner, much to the crowd's enjoyment. No one had seen Naruto plant his clones, nor had they seen him swap out for them. No one could really figure out how he was able to differentiate the original Karin from her clones, either.

When Naruto reached the balcony where the other genin were waiting, Sasuke asked him how Naruto had hidden his clones and how he had figured out which clone was the real Karin. The Uchiha had an inkling of how his friend had done it, but wanted to ask him anyway.

Naruto decided not to answer. He had hidden the clones when the dust had obscured everyone's vision. He used solid clones all the time; was it really so difficult to figure out their differences?

He was happy to have won and he did enjoy the praise he received, but the effect was lessened by the fact that he had fought a fellow clan member. At least she would be giving him a chance.

Mangetsu cracked a joke that caused the crowd to laugh and then called up the next two fighters. Fuu and Karui met each other's eyes before heading down to the arena. "Good luck," Naruto said just as the green-haired jinchuriki walked out of view. He didn't think Fuu needed it though.

"So, are you going to tell me how you pulled that off? Sasuke asked, watching the two fighters take their positions in the battlefield.

Naruto turned to his teammate, an incredulous look on his face. "Yeah, I'll just tell you how I beat my foe. Get out of here, teme."

The Uchiha smirked and watched as the proctor started the match before jumping away. Karui wasted no time in unsheathing her sword and charging at her opponent. "It's always worth a try," Sasuke said. "So who do you think will win this?"

The blonde jinchuriki smirked. "You should know who I think will win this. People should have faith in their friends, shouldn't they?"

"Yosh! That is a very youthful outlook in life, Naruto-kun!" Lee said, giving Naruto a thumbs up.

"The Kumo kunoichi will fail. That much is obvious," Neji muttered. Naruto picked up slight traces of malice in his tone. The blonde really needed to find out why Neji and Hinata were reacting the way they were. Neji held hostility towards the Kumo ninja while Hinata had seemed afraid of them.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't really matter who wins in the end though, right? It's about showing everyone that you're ready for a promotion."

"A lot of these people want to see genin beat each other up, but what you said is true as well," Naruto acknowledged.

Fuu weaved and dodged Karui's frantic slashes and with a mighty punch, sent the Kumo kunoichi flying. The punch looked like it did a number too, given how Karui slowly rose back up. Naruto was reminded of when the girl had bulldozed through the ninja that had been attacking him back in Takigakure.

The genin in the room all winced as Fuu landed another bone-crushing punch on Karui, again sending the Kumo kunoichi flying. Naruto glanced at the other Kumo kunoichi, who had moved up to the railing on the edge of the balcony. She was looking down at her teammate with an impassive expression on her face.

"Hey," Naruto began, turning to look at the Kumo-nin, "Aren't you worried about your teammate?"

The blonde Kumo kunoichi glance at Naruto. "My feelings on my teammate are not your concern. Like you previously said, one must have faith in their friends," she blandly stated.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry, but you just didn't seem very... expressive, I think?" The blonde Kumo kunoichi hadn't been showing any worry or emotion for her teammate.

Samui stared at Naruto for a moment before returning her attention to the battle that was going on below. Every time one of Fuu's crushing strikes connected, the crowd would roar in approval. "There is nothing to apologize for," she answered without looking back at Naruto.

The Kyuubi jinchuriki kept his eyes on the blonde before he too looked back to the battlefield. Karui had just conceded defeat and was walking with a noticeable limp as she was escorted to the nearby medical room. When Fuu entered the balcony, Naruto gave her a small grin. The green-haired kunoichi joined her teammate in waiting for the next two contestants to be called up.

**VvVvV**

"That girl is rather impressive," Iwao stated. "I've never seen someone hit that hard before. She's going to bring some attention to her village, that's for sure."

"You've met Lee, dad," Tenten said, glancing down at the balcony. She could barely make out Lee from where she was seated and only recognized him due to his distinctive bowl-cut.

"Your teammate can hit that hard?" Sakura asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

Tenten nodded. "Yeah. He takes his taijutsu training very seriously and if he doesn't pull his punches, you're going to end up with a nasty bruise. Even when he eases up his attacks leave bruises."

"That sounds pretty painful," Ino remarked. Then she flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. "I bet it must suck having him as a sparring partner, eh?"

Tenten shuddered. "Well, yeah. But it's still good training when we spar." Having a sensei that specialized in taijutsu also helped.

Mangetsu yelled out the names of the next two contestants. "Did you guys hear that? It's Sasuke-kun against Lee," Sakura exclaimed. She gestured down to the battlefield where a bounding Lee was followed by a much more sedate Sasuke.

Ino squealed. "Sasuke-kun is definitely going to win this!"

Her outburst was met with a dry look from Tenten and an amused one from Sakura. "Not that I don't doubt Sasuke, but Lee can hold his own. He'll want to fight to prove himself against Sasuke since Lee was the dead-last of the year and Sasuke is the genius of his generation."

"We'll see who wins," Iwao said, raising his voice slightly in order to quiet the females down. They all fixed their attention on the ice mirrors in front of them.

Down in the field, Sasuke and Lee took stances opposite of each other. "I have been waiting for this, Sasuke-kun!" Lee exclaimed, grinning widely at his opponent. "Let me, as a genius of hard work, test myself against you, a natural genius!"

"I really wish people would understand that natural genius needs hard work to flourish as well," Sasuke muttered in an exasperated tone. Nonetheless, he activated his Sharingan. If one took a closer look at his eyes, they would realize that he had a three-tomoe, fully evolved Sharingan.

Mangetsu started the match and jumped away. With his eyes, Sasuke was able to track Lee's movements. The Uchiha had been training his speed in order to make his Sharingan more efficient. Predicting an enemies movements didn't mean anything if you weren't fast enough to avoid them.

Lee swung his leg high and Sasuke ducked down to avoid it. When Lee swung his other leg in for a lower kick, Sasuke's feet left the ground and his body twisted in the air in a corkscrew motion, successfully avoiding the follow-up attack as well.

When the Uchiha landed, he channeled chakra to his legs and lunged forward. He let his right arm fly forward, but it was blocked by Lee's forearm. The other fist was similarly blocked by Lee's other forearm. In a burst of speed, Sasuke planted his foot where Lee's two forearms were crossed and then pushed off, sending Lee reeling and sending Sasuke flying back.

_He's not making eye contact. I guess I shouldn't be surprised given who his sensei is._ Sasuke ran through some seals and mentally cried, _Katon: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!_ With his chakra controlling the fireballs, Sasuke aimed them at Lee, who was still training his eyes at his foe's feet.

Displaying incredibly speed, Lee avoided each fireball before running straight at Sasuke. The Uchiha took special note of the splashing noises that occurred each time Lee's sandals made contact with the soil. The water left by Naruto's Suiton jutsu hadn't been completely absorbed yet.

Sasuke jumped up, avoiding Lee's launching kick before throwing a series of shuriken. Each one had wires attached to their center. These too were meant to be a distraction, but instead of again approaching Sasuke, Lee jumped away.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted. He waited for either a confirmation or a refusal.

"Yes, Lee!" Gai's voice rang out from somewhere in the crowd. "You can do it! I believe in you!"

Kakashi sighed to himself from where he was sitting next to Gai. "Did you prepare him for the Sharingan specifically?" he asked.

Gai nodded once after he sat back down and retrained his eyes on the mirror in front of him. It didn't give him the view of the battle he specifically wanted, but at least it made him feel as if he was closer to the battle. "Not completely, but Lee and I realized that young Sasuke-kun would be dangerous with his Sharingan."

"Maybe that's overkill..." Kakashi lazily said. "Then again, he did have Itachi and Shisui training him..." The masked jounin watched Lee throw away his extremely heavy weights and renew his attack on Sasuke.

"Yes, but Lee will be able to prove he is worthy of a promotion. Even with his disadvantages, he is a hard-working genin worthy of Konoha!"

"A lot of ninja are like that, Gai," Kakashi replied, rolling his visible eye slightly. He looked back at his mirror, watching as Sasuke avoided punches and kicks that were moving too quick to be seen by ordinary genin. At this point, both of them were displaying speed and taijutsu proficiency on the level of a chunin.

Then, much to the surprise of the crowd, Lee abruptly turned off-course and began sparring with the air. A panting Sasuke grinned slightly as he watched Lee get closer and closer to the nearby puddle of water.

When the sound of splashing reached the Uchiha's ears, Sasuke grabbed his right wrist with his left hand, muttered something under his breath, and unleashed a volley of lightning. The streaks of lightning made contact with the water and electrified it, along with Lee.

Mangetsu wrinkled his nose at the smell of burnt clothing.

Lee wobbled uncertainty before collapsing, his irises spinning comically in his eyes. Sasuke heaved a sigh of relief. Even with his own increased speed, Sasuke could not keep up with Lee. Placing a genjutsu on the boy seemed to be the only way to get some breathing room.

Sasuke's stomach throbbed and he experienced a feeling of weightlessness before landing on the soil in a heap. He painfully rose to his feet and grimaced at a standing Lee. With his Sharingan active, Sasuke could see large amounts of chakra bursting out of Lee's every pore.

"I shall not be defeated!" Lee cried before vanishing from view. Sasuke could track the spandex-wearing boy by the chakra he was leaving behind, but now his speed was downright impossible to avoid.

The tomoe in Sasuke's eye began spinning faster.

Lee landed a devastating punch to Sasuke's ribs and the Uchiha spit up a large amount of blood. "Do you surrender, Sasuke-kun?" Lee asked.

Up in the stands, Itachi smiled softly. "It's over," he quietly said.

Shisui shook his head in amusement. "He finally got it down, didn't he? It took him long enough. I didn't expect that boy to know how to open the Eight Gates, though. That's very impressive."

"I don't believe brute strength is enough for a promotion, though," Itachi commented. "While he did know how to avoid one of the abilities of a Sharingan, being part of Konoha really does not help him in that respect."

"Do you think Sasuke did enough to warrant a promotion?"

After a bit of mulling it over in his head, Itachi answered, "Probably not. His genjutsu placement might be praised, but the use of the remaining water on the field was too simple."

The first use of genjutsu had been by eye-contact. Lee, in his efforts to land a hit on Sasuke, had made eye-contact, allowing Sasuke's Sharingan to trap the spandex-wearing boy in an illusion.

The second was when Lee loudly made his claim that he would not be defeated. Sasuke had pointed at him and sprang his second illusion. It was extremely pitiful compared to his brother's, but it did the job.

With Lee's partial use of the Eight Gates, his body wouldn't be able to fight after a few minutes. Lee wouldn't have been able to go on even if he had won the match. That was the price of the increased power the Eight Gates granted a person.

After Lee fell over from exhaustion, Sasuke was deemed the winner and he walked back up to the balcony. He received a congratulations from Naruto, but Neji merely smirked, as if he was right about something.

It rubbed Sasuke the wrong way.

With the battle over, Mangetsu had the medics tote Lee's unconscious body away before he announced the next match.

**VvVvV**

(Samui vs. Suigetsu)

The following match went by rather fast. Suigetsu had displayed his clan's special bloodline, one that allowed him to turn his body into a liquid form. It had proved to be troublesome to fight against, as Samui's short sword failed to do any damage at all.

That is, until she used a Raiton jutsu. Suigetsu's liquid body ended up sustaining heavy damage due to its chemistry and the attack knocked him out. It was a clean win, one that was sure to deal a blow to Suigetsu's ego.

Naruto overheard that from Haku and then down in the field from Mangetsu. Both of the comments had amused him greatly.

When the blonde Kumo-nin walked back up to the balcony, Neji muttered something under his breath. Samui stopped and turned to him, her expression not showing any hint of an emotion whatsoever. "You have an issue with me," she remarked. It was not a question.

The other genin in the balcony quieted down so that they could better hear the possible confrontation. It didn't help much given the chatter of the crowd and Mangetsu's amplified voice.

Neji sneered, his impassive facade completely breaking down. "Yes, I do have a problem with you. You should not have passed. You should have failed like your teammate."

Samui was about to reply, but Naruto interrupted. "What's your deal, Neji? Is that stick up your ass beginning to bother you?" There wasn't any need to be malicious, as far as Naruto knew.

Neji reacted harshly to Naruto's comment. "Don't interfere in matters you know nothing about, failure!" the Hyuuga hissed.

"Hyuuga Neji and Chojuro, get down here," the proctor called out. Neji was glaring at Naruto and Samui in turn as he left the balcony. A slightly nervous Chojuro followed him.

"What is that guy's problem?" Naruto muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. He walked up to the railing, watching as Chojuro unsheathed his sword and Neji took his clan's signature taijutsu stance.

"I suppose," Samui said, walking up next to Naruto, "it is the stigma of shinobi from Kumogakure no Sato."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, tilting his head slightly as he glanced at Samui. The other genin had walked forward to see how the fight was going. Neji's anger was evident in the way he fought; he was aiming to end the match early.

"Our Kage has not exactly made well-liked decisions in the past," Samui explained. Nor in the present, but that wasn't meant to be said. She would carry out her mission due to her loyalty to her village, even if she didn't like what she was doing.

Samui explained the attempt to kidnap Hyuuga Hinata ten years ago. It ended up with Hyuuga Hizashi dying, as well as the death of one of Kumo's accomplished jounin. The fallout had caused relations between Konoha and Kumo to become strained.

Naruto absorbed this information for a moment before looking back down at the ongoing battle. "I'll bet Neji down there is Hizashi's son. That's probably why he's so aggressive," Naruto mused.

The blonde Kumo-nin next to him sighed. "That's very likely. If I end up in a battle against him, he will probably attempt to kill me."

Naruto frowned. Although he didn't know the pain of losing a parent, the blonde jinchuriki felt that attempting to kill someone who had had no real part in the event was overdoing it. "Grudge or not, that's going overboard," Naruto said. "You and your teammate had no affiliation with that event."

Samui scrutinized her fellow blonde. "You don't act like the others," she stated.

Naruto scrunched up his nose at that comment. It was a habit he had that came back to haunt him every now and then. "You mean I don't judge people based on where they're from," the blonde jinchuriki replied. His past had done much to shape that particular philosophy.

"Pretty much," Samui said. "Kumo has done treacherous things in the past. It's why Kiri-nin and especially the ninja of your own village are wary of us."

Naruto shrugged. "People shouldn't dwell on the past."

A nearby Yuki mulled over what she had heard from the two conversing blondes.

Samui nodded in agreement and watched as Neji disabled Chojuro, resulting in his victory. When Neji returned to the balcony, he glared at Samui before walking to the opposite corner of the room.

**VvVvV**

(With Team Eight and Team Ten)

After Haku had defeated Hiro by strategically incapacitating him with needles, Mangetsu had declared the first round of matches to be over. In addition, the Mizukage had granted both the audience and the remaining genin a twenty minute break.

While the minor intermission was going on, civilians of Kirigakure walked around the stands, selling refreshments to anyone who would purchase them. It was one of these civilians whom Kiba called out to for a snack. The feral boy purchased his bag of chips and began chowing away in a manner eerily reminiscent of a certain nearby Akimichi.

Kurenai sighed to herself as she watched Kiba inhale the chips. Despite her lessons about manners, they never seemed to take root in the boy's mind. "Slow down, Kiba. You'll end up choking."

Kiba made a non-committal noise before Shino whacked him in the back of the head. The Inuzuka glared at Shino before swallowing his mouthful of chips. "Asshole," he muttered. "I can eat like Chouji if I want; I'm hungry. So what do you guys think about the matches?"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered from his seat. He was sitting next to Hinata, who was sitting next to Shino. Chouji was next to Shikamaru and Asuma was sitting with Kurenai, who was next to Kiba.

"Care to give a reason for that, Shika?" Chouji asked, amused- but not surprised- by his friend's answer. The big-boned Akimichi chose to ignore Kiba's former remark.

"That would be too troublesome in itself," Asuma joked. Shikamaru snorted, not even bothering to throw his sensei a glare. "I was impressed by Naruto's Fuuton jutsu. Using it to kick up enough dust and dirt to knock the needles away was smart."

"Not to mention the fact that he used that as a smokescreen to hide himself and his clones," Kurenai added. "I didn't know he could use Suiton jutsu, though."

Asuma shrugged. "Brat must have been training extra hard over the month. Kakashi did say he would surprise us."

"N-Naruto always tries his hardest," Hinata quietly said, probing her index fingers together.

"Yeah, too bad he's the dead-last," Kiba exclaimed. He was cuffed in the back of the head again by Shino. "Hey! What did I do that time?"

"Naruto's position as a dead-last is debatable. As of now, he's progressed farther than all of us," Shino stoically said. "That includes you, Kiba."

Akamaru barked in a manner similar to laughing, causing Kiba to groan and Hinata to giggle. "Tch, fine... but that doesn't mean he'll win his next match."

"It doesn't mean he won't win his next match either," Shikamaru said, slumping back into his chair. "He's shown the ability to use Fuuton and Suiton jutsu, as well as the ability to hide his clones."

"You have to wonder what he's going to do next," Chouji said. He reached over and stole a chip from Kiba's bag, causing the Inuzuka to yell indignantly. "I'm still wondering what Sasuke did, though."

The rookies nodded in agreement. From their point of view, it seemed as if Lee had decided to be an idiot. No seals had been seen either, but Shikamaru and Shino both had an idea of what Sasuke had done.

"You guys know what clan Sasuke is from, right?" Kurenai quizzed, lowering her voice slightly.

"Uchiha Clan," Kiba correctly answered.

Kurenai nodded. "Right. The Uchiha's bloodline, the Sharingan, is an type of doujutsu that can gives users various advantages. Among these is the ability to trap opponents in a genjutsu simply by making eye-contact," the red-eyed jounin explained.

"Is that what he did?" Chouji asked.

Asuma nodded. "Yeah. I guess Lee must have been too focused on Sasuke and made eye-contact."

The next two names were announced. "This could be interesting," Shino muttered in a stoic tone.

"I'd like to see how Neji does against a member of the Yuki Clan," Shikamaru said. "That girl looks like a long-range fighter."

"We can only wait and see," Asuma remarked. "According to Gai, Neji is supposed to be a genius. A prodigy of the ninja arts."

With that said, everyone quieted down as Yuki Haku and Hyuuga Neji made their way onto the battlefield. The two genin took their positions opposite from each other as Mangetsu explained the rules once more.

**VvVvV**

(Neji vs. Haku)

"You seem to have problems regarding the Kumo-nin," Haku began, staring ahead at her opponent. She had overheard Naruto and Samui speak about the event that was likely one of the causes of Neji's aggression.

To her surprise, it felt both similar, yet different to her own. Where she had risen above petty hate, he had decided to dwell in it.

Neji activated his Byakugan in response. "Kumogakure is a treacherous village and their ninja will get what they deserve. Fate has dictated that I will defeat you, bloodline or not. I will win this tournament and prove my superiority."

Haku shook her head. "The path you are going down isn't one you should stay on. It will only end up furthering your hatred towards innocent bystanders," she said, more thoughts about the discussion rushing to her head.

"Don't make comments about things you know nothing about. Proctor, start the match," Neji demanded. This time, Haku was the bearer of Neji's glare.

Mangetsu glanced at Neji before looking back to Haku. "Hyuuga Neji of Konohagakure versus Yuki Haku of Kirigakure," he bellowed, projecting his voice so that the audience could better hear him. "Begin!"

Neji began to run forward as Haku began to retreat.

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><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: I'm not going to explain everything. There were no mirrors in the balcony where the genin were waiting because they're closer to the arena and because they're not exactly participating to watch fights.**

**Everything that has occurred is, I believe, within reason. Naruto is a nice guy, remember that.  
><strong>

**As you can see, the problem of Neji has gone down a different path. I originally intended to have Sasuke fight him, but I think that Haku's different past will make more of a difference.  
><strong>

**Problems, errors, questions, concerns? Send me a message or leave a review. It feeds my ego. I know, I'm a terrible person.**


	19. Tournament: Part 2

**A/N: Enjoy the chapter. Criticism is appreciated.  
><strong>

**Read, review, and criticize. If there are any contradictions or errors, please notify me.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Nineteen: Tournament: Part 2<p>

Neji was fast. That was to be expected of him. Hyuuga needed to be swift, nimble, and speedy in order to quickly engage enemy ninja with their devastating brand of hand-to-hand combat. Their special taijutsu was tailored to incapacitate enemies with feather-light touches of chakra and having an edge in mobility tended to help.

That was probably why Haku's deft movements aggravated Neji. The kunoichi was consistently evading Neji's palm strikes with fancy footwork and a level of speed that was slightly unnerving to behold.

The Hyuuga prodigy hadn't expected his opponent to be faster than him. He did take solace in her refusal to engage him directly; she must not have been proficient in taijutsu, so Neji assumed that he had an advantage in that regard.

It wasn't much of an advantage if he couldn't even reach her. Her movements were tightly controlled and she wasted no energy in dancing away from Neji's precise strikes.

Haku began to slow down and Neji closed in, seeing his chance. Before he could strike, there was a glint and the boy's instincts kicked in. He pivoted on his right leg, allowing the senbon to harmlessly pass him by. "So that's what you're doing," Neji said aloud.

He should've paid more attention to the kunoichi's last battle. Senbon were not meant to deal heavy damage. They were just metal needles, in his opinion. Neji just had to keep on his toes. Channeling chakra to his legs, the prodigy ran forward in a renewed burst of speed.

Haku was holding senbon and readying herself to launch barrage after barrage of needles. The Hyoton-user's opponent was charging at her, so why not throw them?

Needles flew through the air, aimed precisely at Neji's pressure points. They were meant to incapacitate him, but the boy tilted his body in mid-run, avoiding most of the senbon. Haku didn't miss the slight wince he gave when one of her needles imbedded itself into his right shoulder.

As Neji closed in, Haku began to prepare her body for evasive maneuvers. She was at the edge of the arena and her escape routes were to either scale the massive ice mirrors lining the walls or to turn to her sides. The mirrors weren't very adhesive even with the use of chakra and running towards the sides wouldn't guarantee an escape.

Neji's palm strike was slapped away by Haku's hands and she snapped her leg up in an attempt at a retaliatory strike. Neji was right- Haku was not primarily a hand-to-hand fighter. His hands flashed and Haku used her uninjured leg to jump back and _meld_ into the mirror behind her.

"What?" Neji said in bewilderment. Haku had somehow entered the giant mirror behind her and vanished. Nothing he had studied about her bloodline mentioned anything like what she had just done.

"I guess I'll have to use this..." Neji muttered, his eyes slightly narrowing as he yanked out the needle in his shoulder and threw it to the ground. Veins around his temple bulged and an outline of a pupil appeared in each eye. With his Byakugan active, Neji could observe the arena and protect against any sneak attacks.

The chakra enshrouding the mirrors was obvious; they were connected to a system that granted another angle of sight to the tourists. Nothing else stood out. There was no chakra signature he could pick up that would tell him where his opponent was hiding.

Neji suddenly ducked, avoiding the two needles headed directly for his neck. They clanged loudly on the nearby mirror of ice, causing a portion of the audience to jump in their seats. "You'll have to try harder than that!" the Hyuuga yelled out. He jumped to his left, avoiding the follow-up set of needles.

From her position within the mirror to Neji's far-right, Haku grimaced. Her right leg was still stinging from the chakra-laced strike Neji had attacked her with. The tenketsu within her leg were open due to smart application of medical jutsu, but the stinging sensation wouldn't abate until the foreign chakra was removed.

She could deal with it. Neji was too quick and despite having his back in view, Haku surmised that his doujutsu was active. She flipped through some one-handed seals and whispered, "Thousand Water Flying Needles of Death..."

The moisture in the air and the water in the ground coalesced to form countless long, sharp needles made up of water. Each needle floated in the air for a moment before Haku sent them towards Neji.

Since Neji was still at the edge of the arena near the mirror Haku had entered, he had no choice but to unleash his ace. There were too many of the rapidly approaching needles to simply evade. Neji's tenketsu vomited out chakra and he began to spin. A blue, rotating dome of chakra surrounded the prodigy's body, protecting him from the onslaught.

Many shinobi from Konoha were shocked that Neji knew how to do a jutsu reserved mainly for the ninja of the Hyuuga Clan's main branch. Hinata and Hiashi- who was sitting elsewhere in the crowd- were both stunned.

When Neji finished his demonstration, he smirked in triumph. "Your attack are no match for my absolute, perfect defense. My Rotation protects against everything!" he boasted.

"That may be so," Haku said, drawing attention to her sudden appearance on the field, "But expelling that much chakra must be taxing on your reserves."

Neji's near-perfect vision hadn't missed her. He wheeled around to fight her face-to-face. The Hyuuga prodigy couldn't really use the Jyuuken with his back facing the kunoichi, after all. "Impressive," Neji admitted. "But it is futile. Fate dictates my victory!"

Haku was surprised when Neji vanished in a Body Flicker, appearing directly in front of her with his palm reaching for her chest. She was in his field of divination.

Neji had the chance to potentially end the match.

Just as Neji's attack was about to connect, he found that his movements were restricted. When he glanced down, he found that ice had encased his feet and calves, halting any advances that he could have made.

Haku raised a hand and flipped through some one-handed seals, causing the ninja in the audience to gape in astonishment. It wasn't everyday that someone was able to use one-handed seals. It was rather rare, actually.

Mirrors of ice rose out of the ground, levitating in mid-air and enclosing the two fighters in a wide, chilling dome of cold. Neji's body involuntarily shivered as snow began to fall from the mirrors. "Demonic Crystal Ice Mirrors..." Haku muttered in response to Neji's glare.

The Kiri kinoichi jumped back and entered one of the mirrors, melding into it like she had done to the larger mirror earlier on in the match. Haku's reflection appeared in each mirror, all of which were holding up a fistful of senbon.

Neji shattered the ice around his calves with quick jabs from his fingers and attempted to leave the dome of icy mirrors. Unfortunately for him, the chilling cold of the ice had numbed his body, causing him to stumble in an inelegant fashion.

"I see the ice has begun to affect you," Haku noted.

Neji growled at the images around him. He would not fail! It was his destiny to win the tournament and prove how powerful a branch member of the Hyuuga was! His pitiful cousin had already opened the wound and now his job was to widen it! To prove that the main branch was not as strong as everyone believed!

Once more, the Hyuuga attempted to move. This time, Haku moved as well, only at a speed much faster than before. Neji, even with his precious Byakugan, couldn't catch the movements of the kunoichi.

He cried out in pain as needles pierced his flesh. Several were in his thighs, some in his biceps, and quite a few riddling his upper torso. Neji fell to his right knee as numbness and sleepiness began to set in. He couldn't muster up the willpower to activate his defense.

"It's over."

"No!" Neji yelled, struggling to his feet. He assumed a crooked Jyuuken stance. "I will win! Fate-"

"-Does not exist," Haku interrupted. She threw another set of needles with much greater force. The attack sent Neji staggering back before he toppled onto his side, breathing heavily. With so many needles embedded in his flesh, he had no chance.

The mirrors collapsed and shattered as Haku walked out of a falling shard. She knew Neji was done. She approached the fallen, heavily breathing Hyuuga and leaned down nearer to his level. "You know... I might have went down the path you have. Once upon a time, there was that chance.

"I have a bloodline limit, one that was feared years ago when Kirigakure still had proponents of anti-bloodline factions. My mother had the bloodline, but my father didn't. He married into my clan through my mother."

Neji kept glaring heatedly at Haku. He didn't know what she was trying to accomplish. "When I was a young child, one of the bloodline-haters attacked and tried to kill me. That man didn't care that I was a defenseless child, only that I was an apparent harbinger of evil.

"My father took the attack instead." Haku's voice wavered slightly, but she kept speaking. "He wanted me to grow up and become a ninja that he could be proud of. He told me not to hate those who hated people such as myself and my mother. Instead, he told me to help them. He sacrificed himself so that I could help bridge the gap between those who have bloodline limits and those who don't."

"Fate-"

"-is an excuse made by those who do not wish to take charge of their own lives," Haku said, her voice strengthening. "I overheard the tale of Hyuuga Hizashi's death. If anything, he should be hailed as a hero. He defied whatever fate he had been dealt and instead sacrificed himself to prevent war between Konoha and Kumo."

"You don't know anything!" Neji insisted.

"I don't?" Haku lowly asked. "His sacrifice saved countless lives. Would you have rather grown up in a village in which shinobi were dying every day? A village in which death is rampant and grief is common?"

Mangetsu, after observing the two for a moment, announced the winner.

"Mindlessly hating someone for what they represent is useless. All it leads is to more pain and regret," Haku said, watching as the medics took a slightly dazed Neji away from the arena.

The crowd cheered for Haku as she climbed the stairs back up to where the remaining genin were waiting.

She was greeted with an approving nod from Sasuke and a thumbs up from Naruto. "Nice job, Haku! That stick up his ass didn't do much for him, did it?" Naruto exclaimed with a grin.

Haku remained silent, but smiled slightly at Naruto's crass remark. She took her spot near a railing and waited for the next set of combatants to be announced.

**VvVvV**

(Medical Bay)

Neji sat in a typical hospital bed reserved for the injured. Other rooms near his held the genin that had been bested in battle.

He had been thinking. In all honesty, Neji had expected to win. He was an extremely proficient fighter with his Byakugan, yet still lost. He wouldn't get his chance to fight the Kumogakure ninja.

Haku's chiding lecture rang in his mind. Maybe he was being selfish. He had to admit that his father's sacrifice prevented a disastrous war from breaking out. Why was he not hailed as a hero, then? Konoha honored its heroes, if the great Yondaime Hokage was of any note.

The sound of a door opening caught Neji's attention, the creaking echoing in the silence of the room. His uncle walked in, although he was not carrying himself with his usual dignity. He was moving as if he was weighed down by something.

"Neji," Hiashi began, staring down at his nephew.

Neji returned his uncle's stare and nodded his head in subdued respect. "Hiashi-sama."

"I am impressed that you, like my brother, mastered the Rotation."

Hiashi's statement caused Neji to jolt slightly and he raised a wary eyebrow at the man. "Thank you, Hiashi-sama."

Hinata's tall, regal father laughed slightly before deeply sighing. "I suppose whatever that kunoichi told you has... prompted you to reconsider your outlook on life."

Neji said nothing in response to Hiashi's assumption. His uncle's eyes would have caught everything based on the expressions of both he and Haku during their little spat.

Hiashi sighed again and reached into a pocket of his fancy kimono, taking out a worn letter. "I suppose it's time for the truth to come out." Hiashi handed the letter to his nephew.

He told him everything regarding Hizashi's death. Why Hizashi chose to sacrifice himself and why the man defied his supposed fate as a branch member. Hizashi prevented Hiashi from sacrificing himself out of brotherhood, not out of some obligation brought on because of the seal branded on his forehead.

The human mind's split-second power of decision helped remove the plausibility of predestination. It was this power that shattered fate's supposed conscription.

After listening to Hiashi's revelation and accepting the man's apologies, Neji found that his heart was much lighter than it had been. The Caged Bird Seal was still on his forehead, but the prodigy could try something other than blatant hatred.

It was better than simply wishing death upon all those who had no participation in the event nearly a decade ago.

**VvVvV**

Sakura quailed under the hard gazes of Tenten and Ino. "W-What are you guys staring at me like that for?" she nervously said.

"Considering that both of your teammates are fighting each other in the next round, I feel like we have a very good reason," Tenten answered, not letting up on her stare.

Ino folded her arms over her chest and frowned at Sakura. "Who are you going to root for? I mean, I know both of them have probably trained pretty hard, but Sasuke-kun graduated at the top of our class."

Sakura mulled the decision over in her head. She couldn't really pick one of her teammates over the other, especially with how kind they had been to her even as their skills eclipsed her own. Even with her persisting crush on Sasuke, she couldn't bring herself to pick him over Naruto. Her blonde teammate didn't deserve that.

"I don't think I'll cheer for either of them," Sakura finally said. Tenten nodded approvingly, but Ino seemed surprised. "It wouldn't be fair to them, not after all of the work both of them have put in."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Is it bad that I seriously expected you to pick Sasuke-kun? I mean, I'm going to cheer for him. Naruto just doesn't hold my affections." A dreamy look appeared on Ino's visage.

Tenten snorted. "He did tell me you had a pretty massive crush on him, Sakura. At least you're keeping your teamwork in mind. I don't think Naruto would take it very well if you picked Sasuke over him just because of a crush."

The pink-haired kunoichi winced. That was a stab to her conscience, but at least she was doing much better now. "I'm not sure who's going to come out on top though," Sakura mused, opting to change the topic.

Ino abruptly jumped back into reality and held up a hand. "Let's see... Sasuke-kun won by clever use of distractions, some lightning jutsu, and I think he used genjutsu." Each statement was accompanied by Ino counting with her fingers.

"He most definitely used an illusion to influence Lee's movements," Iwao chimed in. "I recognize that form, too. The brat likely had Itachi teaching him."

"That would explain his improvement," Tenten added. "Sasuke's older brother is supposed to be amazing. Isn't he in ANBU, too?"

Iwao chuckled at that. "Well, Sasuke still has a long way before he reaches his brother's level. There's a marked difference between ordinary jounin and ANBU-level jounin, just so you know."

Tenten furrowed her brow. "So who trained Naruto? We know that Sasuke was trained by his brother, but who taught Naruto that water jutsu?"

"Kakashi-sensei probably did," Sakura supplied. "He supposedly knows over a thousand jutsu, so he would have something to teach him."

All four of them fell silent as Naruto and Sasuke took their positions on the field.

**VvVvV**

(Naruto vs. Sasuke)

Mangetsu glanced at Naruto and then Sasuke. Both of them were grinning cockily at the other. "All right, are you two ready? Again, please don't kill each other. I don't want to have to clean your carcasses off the soil. That shit's annoying to do."

The two male genin of Team Seven fell over at that.

"All right," Mangetsu said. He activated his jutsu and bellowed, "Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto: Begin!" Then the man jumped away from the two boys.

Both boys resettled into their stances and smirked at the other. "Let's give them a good show, eh Sasuke-teme? I won't lose this time," Naruto asserted, his smirk turning into a grin.

Sasuke returned the grin. "I won't take it easy on you Naruto, just so you know," the Uchiha replied.

A _very_ dramatic wind blew in the arena, ruffling their clothes and making them seem totally awesome. Too bad they were just thirteen, right?

Nonetheless, Sasuke moved first. The Uchiha's body wavered and Naruto felt a solid punch connect with his jaw, sending the blonde flying into the air. Naruto righted himself and landed on both feet, working his jaw to make sure it wasn't broken.

It still hurt and Sasuke remained in the same place he had been in when the match started. Naruto frowned at Sasuke's speed before his teammate's body wavered again.

Naruto quickly brought his arms up in a cross guard and felt an impact on his forearm. He caught the barely visible puff of smoke and realized just what Sasuke was doing.

"Gotcha, teme," Naruto muttered. He rapidly backpedaled to avoid being hit again and took out a kunai from his supply pouch. Sasuke's image wavered and Naruto saw his teammate retrieve his own kunai.

Chuckling, Naruto quickly threw the kunai and flipped through some seals, mentally reciting the name of the jutsu Kakashi had taught him. _Let's see you try to deflect this with just one kunai,_ Naruto inwardly said.

The one thrown kunai multiplied, turning into an ominous wall of fast-moving metal. Sasuke's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He was impaled by the many kunai before his body exploded into smoke.

"...What the hell?" Naruto said, sounding completely flabbergasted. "When did you learn that jutsu?" The question was seemingly directed towards the air until Naruto stepped to his right, avoiding the initial punch thrown by Sasuke. The Uchiha's follow-up punch from his left hand was slapped away before Naruto jumped back.

He didn't really want to get into a taijutsu match with Sasuke unless his gauntlets were equipped.

Sasuke shrugged. "Training. My brother thought I had more than enough chakra for it." Then the Uchiha's hands ran through two seals before he exhaled a harsh stream of fire.

Naruto brushed off Sasuke's meager answer and focused on the incoming stream of fire. It wasn't very wide, but it was moving fairly quick for its size. The blonde was able to jump to the side and easily evade the attack, but three spinning shuriken caught him by surprise and ended up cutting the left side of his body.

Shortly afterward, an additional set of shuriken sliced through the right side of his body. Both sets of the throwing stars curved through the air and Naruto felt near-invisible wires tighten around his body.

He hissed in pain as the wires dug into his wounds. They weren't deep, but the three gashes were bleeding and stung whenever he moved. The wires didn't help much, either.

Both sets of shuriken completed their circuit and wrapped around the boy's arms, restricting his movement. Naruto grimaced at Sasuke and tried to wriggle out of the wires, but they held fast.

Sasuke grinned to himself. He knew that Naruto would be able to get out of the attack he was weaving, but it still pleased him to see that Naruto hadn't been able to dodge the throwing stars. Holding the wires in place with his teeth, Sasuke flipped through an additional set of seals. He grabbed the wires, igniting them and sending the flames blazing towards Naruto.

"Guess I'll have to use my claws..." Naruto muttered. He moved his forearms and wiped the blood leaking from his sides onto his palms, unsealing his weapons. He used them in conjunction with chakra flow to slash the wires and moved away before the fire could reach him.

Three clones appeared next to Naruto, all of which were grinning fiercely. "Let's see how you handle this, Sasuke-teme!" they all confidently yelled.

In response, Sasuke finally activated his three-tomoe Sharingan. All four Naruto's he was gazing upon couldn't be differentiated by Sasuke's eyes; Naruto had evenly split his chakra.

Two of the identical blondes rushed forward, claws outstretched. The other two clapped their hands together and began to go through a long series of hand seals.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he prepared himself for the assault. His eyes would predict Naruto's attacks, especially those that were using wind chakra.

Both clones jumped at Sasuke once they were in range. One attacked him directly while the other choose to circle around. Both of them were weaving and striking, opting to evade rather than block.

Not for the first time, Sasuke thanked his family for having the Sharingan. His eyes picked up the subtle nuances of Naruto's strikes and helped him evade slashes and stabs that would've proved difficult to escape otherwise.

Batting away a claw (and refraining from wincing at the feeling of flesh on hard metal), Sasuke's fist blurred and nearly embedded itself into the first shadow clone's ribs. The attack would have succeeded, but Sasuke was forced to abandon his attack so that he could duck under a swooping claw from the second clone.

He wasn't about to let any one of them out of his sight; not with their gauntlets of doom swinging about.

"Suiton: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"

Both clones around him suddenly changed tactics and lunged forward, intent on turning the fight into a grappling match. The gigantic incoming dragon made up of water didn't help much either.

In response, Sasuke ramped up his level of speed and dispatched both of the lunging clones just as the dragon bore down upon him. Thinking quickly, he took out a soldier pill from his pouch, popped it into his mouth, and ran through some seals as the dragon attacked.

Naruto and his clone released the bird seal they were holding and watched as the gigantic dragon they had created dump itself onto Sasuke. The blonde hoped the dragon didn't end up hurting Sasuke too badly.

A loud crackling sound ripped through the air and the dragon roared as electricity pulsed through its body, reducing a majority of it into ordinary water. Steam was also expelled from the dragon, obscuring Sasuke's position.

That was no reason to stand by idly. Naruto smirked to himself and created an additional two shadow clones. The other clone with Naruto, as well as the new clones he had created, shimmered and vanished with usage of Jiraiya's Transparency Jutsu.

Naruto did know that the Sharingan would likely catch the chakra from the hidden clones, but it was more for the crowd than for the match. Plus, he had something else he wanted to show off.

The Kyuubi jinchuriki blinked as he suddenly felt very drowsy. What was stranger were the feathers falling from the sky. There weren't any birds with white feathers in Kirigakure... were there?

Naruto fell to his knees, trying to keep his eyes open. He wasn't normally this tired... hell, Jiraiya and Kakashi had both run him ragged and he still ended up bounding with energy after an hour of rest.

_Genjutsu!_ Naruto thought. He slowly brought his hands together and slurred out, "Release!" His chakra surged, dispelling the illusion he had been placed under. Naruto's chakra began to leak out from his arms once the feathers vanished.

Then he felt the blistering heat. Looking up, Naruto gaped at a large fireball that looked to be about four times the size of Sasuke's Grand Fireball Jutsu. At that level, everything around him, including possibly Sasuke himself, would end up cooked.

The bandages around Naruto's arms unwrapped in response to the increase in chakra emanating from them. The white bandages were suspended in the air and connected to Naruto's claws by wrappings underneath the gauntlets.

The fireball slowly fell towards the ground. For some reason, it wasn't moving as quick as Naruto thought it would. Nonetheless, he needed to bring up a barrier. _I hope this works,_ the blonde thought. He gave the form he was thinking about to his bandages and sent them flying out to his sides.

The bandages stopped in midair, having been caught by something. His clones shimmered into existence, an expression of concentration on their faces. The clones had caught the bandages with their free hand, the other having sent their own bandages towards another clone a distance behind Naruto.

Rather than remaining as white bandages, the wrappings had turned into glowing, blue chains. The real Naruto went onto his right knee as he, as well as his clones, raised their hands up into the air.

The chakra was spread and created a transparent, glowing barrier around them in the form of an arrowhead.

Then the fireball collided. In Naruto's opinion, it didn't make as much of an explosion as it ought to have. Rather than sending heat and doom and destruction in every direction possible, the fireball dispelled upon reaching the barrier.

The collision did kick up dirt and dust, obscuring the vision of the blonde. He kept up the barrier until the dust cleared even though it was beginning to tax him. When the dust did clear, he saw Sasuke standing a distance in front of him, eyes narrowed and chest heaving.

The barrier vanished and the clones dispelled, having been drained of most of their chakra. Vaguely, Naruto realized he was breathing somewhat harder than before. He got to his feet and smirked at Sasuke before taking out two shuriken.

"I forfeit."

"What?" Naruto said, his jaw agape and his eyes blinking rapidly in an effort to figure out whether or not Sasuke was duping him.

"I forfeit," Sasuke repeated. "I'm out of chakra and I don't feel like taking another soldier pill. I like waking up without excruciating pain, thank you very much."

"You sure about that?" Mangetsu yelled over to Sasuke. At the Uchiha's nod, Mangetsu gestured to Naruto. "Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!"

The crowd cheered harder at Naruto's unorthodox method of raising a barrier. The Uzumaki blinked and looked up, feeling quite accomplished at having bested Sasuke for once.

It felt awesome.

The volume of the crowd magnified once the two teammates shook hands in good sport.

**VvVvV**

"I'm very impressed by that Uchiha," Yagura murmured. "He made very good use of his illusions."

The Raikage grunted, not really liking the usage of genjutsu in general. "That blonde kid's got some luck. He didn't realize he was stuck under two illusions at once and instead decided to bring up a barrier. I didn't think he could manifest his chakra to that degree, though."

"He's a surprising ninja, Raikage-dono," Hiruzen supplied, smiling slightly at how Naruto had won. He hadn't hurt Sasuke much at all, had displayed the necessary skill level required to be a squad leader, and had shown restraint when battling his comrade.

The failure to recognize the second illusion was a point against him, but the Hokage knew that Naruto was always terrible at genjutsu. However, favoritism couldn't be shown when deciding who would be promoted.

As for Sasuke, the boy's skill level regarding illusions was rising, but his ninjutsu and tactics were better. His forfeit showed that he knew his limits, at least. That would help raise his chances of being promoted.

"I'm surprised a genin was able to use the Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu, even if it was with a shadow clone's help," Yagura remarked. "His control was very shoddy." The Mizukage knew why that was so.

The Hokage chuckled. "One can only do so much with thirty days." _Even with the shadow clone method,_ Hiruzen mentally added.

The three Kage-level shinobi fell silent as they waited for the next match to be called.

**VvVvV**

(Medical Bay)

Sasuke took a deep breath, feeling energy seep back into his body. The food pill he had been given had helped even though his body as beginning to ache from the effects of the soldier pill.

The door to his room opened and his older brother strolled in. Itachi's face was stoic, but Sasuke could tell that the man was worried. "Are you all right, Sasuke?" Itachi began, his lips twitching downward slightly.

The younger Uchiha snorted. "Come on, you know I'm tougher than that."

"Perhaps," Itachi acknowledged. "However, it's my job to worry about you. You're my younger brother, after all."

Sasuke groaned. Itachi and his mother never stopped babying him.

Itachi chuckled softly. Then his expression turned more serious. "Are you angry?" he asked.

"What?"

"Are you angry about your loss?" Itachi asked once more.

"Naruto and I are well-aware of what we have to do to become chunin. I don't think I should be angry because I forfeited. I'm aiming to be a chunin, but Naruto might be aiming for something higher." Sasuke chuckled to himself and shook his head. "He still knows that he has to display the necessary skills to be promoted."

The elder Uchiha nodded slightly. "I thought so, but it's quite common for genin to be competitive. I'm glad that you've taken your loss with grace."

"With grace?" Sasuke asked, his lips quirking upward.

"You know, I could always ask Shisui to give you another course of his genjutsu training."

Sasuke's expression morphed into a horrified look before he shook his head rapidly. "I'm fine. I accepted my loss with grace. Yes, with grace. Definitely with grace," the boy quickly said.

Itachi smirked at his brother. "I thought so. If you're feeling better, then you can come out and see Naruto's next match."

"Already?" Sasuke questioned, a hint of surprise in his tone. "There's still those two kunoichi left, though. Did they already have their match?"

"Oh, yes. The kunoichi from Kumo, Samui, ended up being knocked unconscious. Naruto is going to face the Yuki clan member next."

Sasuke climbed out of his head and stretched slightly. He headed towards the door, with Itachi following him. "Did you think I did well in my matches?" he asked.

"Acceptable," Itachi simply replied. "There were a number of things you could have done better, but I believe you've done enough to be promoted. I didn't expect Naruto to know a barrier jutsu, though."

"I've never heard or read anything about chains made up of chakra," Sasuke murmured. "Have you?"

"Maybe mother will know more about it," Itachi replied. "Come. Shisui is saving our seats."

**VvVvV**

"Gai, please be quiet. I think the people around us would like some semblance of hearing after the tournament is over."

"I cannot help it, my most youthful rival!" Gai loudly said, his teeth pinging and his thumbs up. "That match... it was just... so youthful! And the one before it... such comradeship!" Tears of joy and happiness began falling from Gai's eyes.

Kakashi raised a hand to his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'll admit the match was somewhat impressive, but they're not from Konoha."

Gai, wearing a serious expression, turned to face his rival. "Kakashi, they still battled well; therefore they deserve praise. Takigakure must have been training that girl particularly well, since she is advancing to the finals."

The masked jounin rolled his visible eye. There was a reason why Fuu was doing so well and it was mostly attributed to the fact that she was a jinchuriki. Jinchuriki, of course, could still be bested, but being one was still a rather large advantage... or disadvantage, depending on how one looked at it.

He hadn't seen her use any of her _secondary_ abilities, however. Regardless, the green-haired girl had still come up on top. The strength and resilience she had been displaying were rather shocking.

Well, to and for a genin, perhaps. Still, intelligent use of her surroundings had neutralized most of Samui's jutsu and up-close, the short sword she had been using ended up becoming useless on the Taki-nin's ridiculously tough skin.

"Well, she's like Naruto," Kakashi offhandedly replied. His voice was slightly lowered too, just in case anyone with an interest in that kind of thing was listening in. Kakashi doubted that, since the chatter of the crowd was enough ambient noise to drown out their conversation to strangers.

Gai turned his attention back to the now-empty field as he raised an eyebrow. "Is she really?" was his response.

Kakashi nodded. "Oh, yes. We met her, actually. She and Naruto have a lot in common."

"That's no surprise, Kakashi," Gai solemnly remarked.

"She was apparently a lot worse before Naruto found her, you know."

That might have been the wrong thing to say. Gai's eyes brightened up and he straightened his back. "Yosh! Such a youthful boy! Helping those who are in pain even when they don't ask for it!" the eccentric man boomed.

"...Somehow, I don't think he would've let it slide. He took the treatment very seriously," Kakashi murmured.

"But instead of letting it get to him, he is becoming stronger, is he not?"

"Err... well-"

"I can see how hard he must be working," Gai interrupted. "Lee can sympathize with him. Perhaps I should get them together for a friendly spar?"

Kakashi chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. Naruto might yell at him for arranging such a thing. "Naruto's not one to refuse a challenge. Once we get back to Konoha, depending on how the promotions end up, I'm sure Naruto would accept."

"Lee would like to test his skills against another genius in hard work, too."

Kakashi nearly snorted. Naruto wasn't a genius in hard work. He was a damned miracle when it came to working his ass off.

"The proctor is coming up again. It's Naruto against Haku. How do you think he will do?" Kakashi mused.

Gai shrugged and eagerly looked down at the field. "At this point, I'm sure he knows what he has to do if he wants to get promoted."

**VvVvV**

(Naruto vs. Haku)

"Haku."

The kunoichi smiled softly at him. "Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyebrows twitched. "I'm not going to go easy on you, Haku," he replied, grinning at the Kiri-nin in front of him. "Even if you did take that stick out of Neji's ass and beat him with it, I'm still going to go all out."

Haku's smile widened and she giggled slightly. "How else would we get promoted? We need to show off our skills, after all."

"Oi!" Mangetsu yelled from his spot a small distance away. "You two can fight now, you know. The match has started. I swear, every time a battle starts out there's some silly little banter between the fighters. Not that I mind, of course, but the crowd certainly might."

Haku turned and glared at the proctor. Naruto had to stifle a laugh; despite not having known Haku for very long at all, the expression she was wearing looked very alien on her face.

Naruto brought his thumbs up to his mouth and shredded the skin on them, using the blood to unseal his gauntlets. At this point of the tournament, there was no reason to not go all-out.

Haku took that action as the beginning of their match and jumped back, senbon appearing in her fists as if by magic. Naruto, having seen how Haku fought, made the rather obvious decision to fight Haku in close-quarters combat.

The blonde didn't expect it to be easy, if the kunoichi's fight against Neji was any indication. Neji was probably better than him in taijutsu too, but Naruto did have the advantage of chakra flow.

Taking off in a burst of speed, Naruto began to follow Haku, opting to try and cut her off. As he ran, he formed his favorite seal and called into existence five solid clones. Each of them splayed out their fingers and rushed away from the main Naruto.

Naruto had underestimated her accuracy. His clones were, like when he had fought Karin, destroyed by needles that were scarily accurate. Quickly sifting through the memories he had received, Naruto realized that each needle had pierced each targeted clone in the neck.

There had been no deviation. Scary indeed.

He was the only target left and had to extend his wind chakra forward from his right hand in order to increase his reach. Slashing downward with his right claw, Naruto cut the incoming water bullet in half, sending the now-useless water to his sides without decreasing his running speed.

The next enlarged bullet was made up of ice. That time, Naruto decided to roll to his right and evade the attack. If he failed to cut it correctly, he would've been hit with a very solid chunk of ice. That wasn't something he wanted to experience.

As Naruto approached the edge of the arena, he realized that his footing was becoming unstable. Hazarding a look below, he noticed that rather than running on solid ground or soil, he was moving on ice.

Feeling like his balance was in danger, Naruto launched himself into the air. Haku had stopped moving and her right arm was outstretched, following his position in the air. Her other hand ran through hand-seals and needles made up of ice were jettisoned from the frozen ground towards the airborne Naruto.

Ninja couldn't maneuver very well while in the air. Naruto knew this. The blonde also knew that he was known for being unpredictable for a reason. Naruto clapped his hands together and then aimed his palms up towards the sky.

"Wind Release: Gale Palm!" Naruto yelled out. Violent blasts of wind were emitted by his armored hands, sending him flying downward. This action allowed him to evade the multitude of sharp needles in exchange for landing heavily on the icy soil.

"I see that you're more proficient with Fuuton jutsu than I thought," Haku noted, tilting her head slightly at Naruto.

The blonde was breathing heavily in an attempt to get over the rapid altitude change. Jumping up and then quickly sending yourself flying downward wasn't without its adverse effects.

Haku flipped through some seals and spat out a forceful torrent of water towards her foe. Naruto threw out his palms and sent out a burst of wind at the water, spraying droplets of water everywhere.

Having been given a momentary distraction, Naruto created six clones and then activated his Transparency Jutsu. He needed to hide for a bit and come up with a plan. He could even wear Haku out in a battle of attrition, but that was risky due to her speed and her style of fighting.

He had no intention of getting his behind riddled with senbon. Seriously, him fighting two senbon-users was just his luck.

Naruto used a Body Flicker to appear on the other side of the arena and watched as his clones attempted to get closer to Haku. Rather than stay in her position near the edge of the arena, she melded into the mirror nearby like she had in her earlier match.

The six Naruto-clones tensed and remained wary as they spread throughout the arena. They kept an eye on each mirror in the battlefield to make sure Haku didn't get one over them.

The large mirrors stationed around the arena began to spew thick, unnatural mist. The real Naruto grimaced, remembering the mist that had appeared back when they were approached by the Kiri-nin in the second exam.

The sound of cracking reached Naruto's ears and he looked down, watching as the water under his feet froze solid like it had earlier on in the fight. A series of pops shortly followed the cracking noise and Naruto received the memories of his clones shortly afterward. Some of their 'deaths' were rather gruesome.

Three had been pierced by a thin spike of ice. Two had simply been dispelled by well-placed senbon. The final one was completely frozen solid.

Naruto shuddered. The extremely unpleasant feeling of being frozen-over would probably never leave his memories.

As long as the Transparency Jutsu was active, he was safe. Haku wasn't a sensor and he wasn't broadcasting his location.

The mist was still dangerous, however. It was beginning to get _cold_, too. Deciding to take a gamble, Naruto flipped through some seals, inhaled deeply, and blasted out a fierce gust of wind, pushing the mist away and revealing his location for all to see.

Haku, standing in the middle of the arena, attacked immediately. Naruto batted away the several senbon that were aimed at him and then channeled chakra to his legs.

The blonde vanished in a burst of movement. Haku jumped back in anticipation of an attack, but a direct strike never came. Instead, Naruto used his speed to appear on the top ledge of the large, thick mirror behind him.

Taking out a kunai, Naruto chucked the knife and flipped through some seals. One kunai became five-hundred deadly weapons raining down upon Haku. He wasn't going to stop there though.

He sent a fierce gust of wind from his palms that increased the speed of the weapons. Haku looked as if she was tearing up the icy ground as a wall of ice rose and halted most of the kunai.

The clones that Naruto had hidden as kunai appeared with their distinctive pop and jumped over the wall, using Haku's surprise and an application of chakra to attack. Contact was made, but Haku's body turned into water when the first strike made contact.

_Water clone!_ Naruto thought.

"Please forfeit, Naruto-kun." Naruto froze as he felt the cold edge of a kunai on his neck. "I don't want to have to hurt you. It was hard trying to get you since you could defend against my attacks, but now you're caged in."

The blonde frowned. Again with the mirrors... but he was on top of the one below him. What...? "How did you appear above me?" Naruto asked. He tried to glance at Haku, but any movement only made the weapon press harder against his neck.

"Please forfeit, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's frown vanished, replaced with a neutral visage. "You know, I'm not one to give up," he chided.

Haku remained resolute. She dug the kunai into his neck, drawing a drop of blood in warning...

And then Naruto exploded into smoke. Haku's eyes widened as the smoke obscured her vision and she reflexively flinched.

Nearby, Naruto shimmered into existence, his chains writhing through the air as they encircled her torso. A screeching hum echoed in the air, drawing attention to Naruto's right hand. A light blue ball of churning chakra was raised, ready to shred and tear apart anything it touched.

Yuki Haku was not stupid. She knew that the spinning blue ball of chakra her opponent was readying was the infamous Rasengan the Yondaime Hokage had created. How Naruto had learned it, she had no idea, but she had no intention of letting the attack land.

Once more, Haku's blistering speed came out to play. To her, it looked as if the chains were slowly trying to wrap her up, like a constrictor would to its prey.

She ducked under the chains and lowered her body, watching as the chains clanged together in protest. Her throwing arm blurred and two senbon made up of ice were flicked from her fingers. Naruto, being forced to retract the chains and dispel his Rasengan, was unable to evade the rapid-fire needles from piercing his neck.

Naruto's eyes widened and he choked in shock. He couldn't grab at his neck due to the peculiar weapons he was using and his vision was flickering. He fought the drowsiness off and struggled to continue reining in his chains.

More senbon were thrown from the Kiri-nin, who took advantage of the slack chains and stunned opponent. The needles pierced Naruto's thighs, chest, and arms. Rather than pain erupting from various points on his body, the blonde only felt the smothering coolness of a misty battlefield, threatening to drag him down to unconsciousness.

"Stop!" Mangetsu yelled, appearing suddenly. He had a lopsided grin on his face, as if Naruto's suffering was amusing to him. "The needles skewering his neck and chest were enough to end the match. The fact that he's still standing is pretty impressive-"

Naruto fell over. He wasn't knocked out just yet, but he couldn't move and his eyelids were beginning to droop.

"-And I spoke too soon," Mangetsu said, shaking his head. "How about that, folks? The winner of this intense ninjutsu match is Kirigakure's very own Yuki Haku!"

Mangetsu picked Naruto up, threw him over his shoulder without regard to the blonde's injuries, and used a Body Flicker to appear at the ground floor of the arena. He handed the blonde over to the approaching medics and let the crowd cheer for the victorious Yuki clan member.

**VvVvV**

(Haku vs. Fuu)

After the fight between Haku and Naruto, both of them were admitted to the medical bay for examination. The medics were quite happy with Naruto: all of his matches had been very clean. Even his match with Haku was clean, considering how the kunoichi's needles were meant to incapacitate rather than obliterate.

The blonde had several jutsu in his repertoire that would have helped his match, but he wasn't about to launch jutsu with the capability to mortally wound his opponents. That was a last resort and even then, the proctor probably would have interfered to prevent unnecessary bloodshed.

Nonetheless, Naruto was still peeved at having lost. He was sure he could've won, but there was no point in being a poor sport. The chance of promotion was still open and that was all he was really there for. Fame could come later, when he was the best damn Hokage ever.

He wasn't one to remain down about a loss anyway.

He was currently sitting with Jiraiya several rows above where Kakashi and Gai were sitting. The toad-user had missed Naruto's first battle, much to the blonde's irritation, but had seen the rest of them.

Jiraiya was also fairly sure that Naruto would be promoted. The fact that he hadn't killed anyone was a point in his favor. The skills he had shown off helped too.

Both of them ended their discussion and looked to the field as Haku and Fuu took their positions. Mangetsu proceeded with the usual introductions and then jumped away, allowing the two to begin fighting.

Fuu's advantage was proven immediately. The metal needles Haku threw at Fuu simply bounced off the jinchuriki's hardened, carapace-like skin, allowing the green-haired girl to charge without regards for safety.

With part of her offensive repertoire useless, Haku had to rely on her ninjutsu. Flipping through some ordinary, two-handed seals, the kunoichi exhaled a gust of chilled, icy wind.

Fuu was forced to jump to her left to avoid the chilling attack lest her limbs become too numbed to work properly. Once safely away from the cold wind, Fuu continued her relentless charge.

"I see I need more power..." Haku mumbled to herself. She put her hands together and spat out a fast-moving mass of water that began to quickly rotate, taking the form of a spinning drill. Due to Fuu's relatively close range, Haku scored a direct hit.

The power of the attack was enough to halt Fuu's body and send her careening back. The Taki-nin righted herself and clapped her hands together. Inhaling deeply, Fuu expelled a large amount of fine powder from her mouth that reflected the light, blinding just about everyone in the arena.

Instinctively, Haku raised a hand to her eyes to prevent the reflected light from blinding her. With the remaining water on the field, Haku had the option create an icy mirror and escape impending danger.

She wasn't quite that fast, unfortunately.

The Kiri kunoichi felt someone grab her left hand with an iron grip. "I'm sorry," her opponent whispered before she delivered a crippling strike to Haku's stomach.

Haku's mouth opened in a wordless scream... and then she turned into water. Fuu blinked and then sent out a pulse of her chakra, rendering the blinding powder she had exhaled useless.

Ice froze over the puddle of water that had once been Haku and Fuu backpedaled to avoid the thick spike of ice that arose from it. Senbon struck once more and again failed to inflict any lasting damage.

Fuu frowned and looked around for her enemy. Her direct right had Haku exit a floating mirror of ice. The Hyoton-user's expression seemed resigned. "I don't really have a means of hurting you, but I have been training to be a hunter-nin..." she said.

The Kiri kunoichi made a ram hand seal and summoned water from the soil to enshroud her hand. The substance coiled around her forearm and hung loose from her fist, elongating and stretching to form the likeness of a whip.

Thrusting her arm forward, Haku sent the whip flying towards Fuu, who cautiously watched the aqueous weapon curve through the air. She ducked under the attack and sprang forward, taking advantage of Haku having to coil the whip back to her arm.

Another swipe from the whip halted Fuu's advances while Haku flipped through practiced one-handed seals. Given the closer distance between the two kunoichi, Haku decided to summon her signature dome of mirrors, surrounding and trapping the Fuu within.

The green-haired Taki-nin looked around the dome of mirrors, recalling how Haku would refuse to allow trapped enemies to escape. Fuu saw the familiar snowflakes fall from the mirrors, causing the area to turn colder.

Each mirror reflected the image of Haku, only instead of senbon, the reflections were wielding whips made out of water. The expressionless faces of the Hyoton-user collectively gazed down upon Fuu before the weapons were sent out.

In close-combat, Fuu was unrivaled. Being a jinchuriki, she had stamina to spare and her Biju gave her unique abilities tailored to smashing through anything. She was quite agile as well, helping increase her threat level in a taijutsu match.

It was this agility that enabled the Taki-nin to evade the onslaught of whips coming from the mirrors. Each whip was connected to a floating mirror, making it impossible to determine which one was hiding the real Haku.

Within such an enclosed area, however, Fuu could only evade the strikes for so long. With so many watery, snake-like whips attacking her, the jinchuriki eventually found herself encircled by the prehensile weapon.

Up in the stands, Jiraiya made a crude comment to Naruto, causing the boy's face to redden in embarrassment.

Cold began to creep into Fuu's torso and arms as the whips solidified into ice. "You are trapped, Fuu-san," Haku said, making a rather obvious statement.

Fuu grunted and struggled for a moment before deflating slightly. A shiver traveled up her spine and she felt her upper body slowly losing feeling. "I'm n-never trapped," Fuu replied, her teeth beginning to chatter.

Haku thought otherwise. The cold would eventually seep into the Taki-nin's body and force her to fall asleep, thus giving the Kiri kunoichi the win. Incapacitation for Haku usually wasn't messy.

So, Haku waited. The match would surely be over... until an ominous, overwhelming presence hit her senses. Haku staggered and each reflection did the same.

Fuu's eyes were glowing bright orange. Growling, the girl shattered the frozen bindings and let her shimmering, bright green wings loose. Four wings of chakra vibrated in anticipation of flight.

The Taki-nin bent her knees and jumped up, the chakra wings buzzing loudly. Her form of flight caused many people to gasp in surprise. Her following attack caused many more people to gasp: Fuu flipped back in the air and rushed down, dive-bombing the dome of mirrors.

Mirrors cracked and shattered under the intense force of Fuu's flying tackle. Seeing that the mirrors were useless, Haku leapt from the one she was hiding in and focused on getting away from her opponent.

Escape was useless. Fuu was much faster than ordinary shinobi when her wings were present.

"I forfeit!"

Fuu was forced to pull up and away from Haku in order to avoid harming the kunoichi. "W-What? You forfeit?" she asked, her eyebrows raised as she stared down at Haku's form.

The Kiri kunoichi nodded and then sighed to herself. "My tactics have very little effect on you and with those... wings of yours, your speed is greater than mine. This battle is yours," Haku replied.

The wings faded as Fuu touched down upon the moist soil. She exhaled slowly and looked up at the crowd.

"Well, there you have it folks," Mangetsu boomed, using the voice amplifying jutsu to project his words to the crowd. "The winner of Kirigakure no Sato's first chunin exam is Fuu of Takigakure!"

At first, there was silence. Only a few people were clapping, but these few people rallied the crowd. More and more people began clapping with some yelling out her name in approval.

Fuu heard a few familiar voices and gave the crowd a half-smile. Their cheering and roars of congratulations were intoxicating.

She gave a few awkward waves in response. Whistles were added to the cacophony of cheers and shouts and the whole mix of sounds grew louder.

The three attending Kage had approached their railings and each had given their acknowledgment of Fuu's victory.

"Fuu-san."

The kunoichi turned to a weary Haku, who had a smile on her visage. The Kiri-nin walked up to Fuu and held out her hand in congratulations. Good sportsmanship would reflect well on Kirigakure's shinobi.

Fuu looked at the hand for a few seconds before looking back at Haku. Tentatively, she outstretched her own hand and shook.

"Congratulations, Fuu-san. I'm sure your village will be proud of you."

"Yeah... you too..." Fuu said, trailing off slightly. She blinked rapidly as she felt the edges of her eyes pricking and burning.

It felt amazing, euphoric, and fulfilling.

The acknowledgment of the crowd, even after they had felt the ominous feeling of demonic chakra and despite the fact that she was a foreign kunoichi, lifted her heart.

**VvVvV**

(Land of Stone)

"Y-You can't do this! It's a declaration of war!"

"That's exactly why I'm doing this, Daimyo-sama," the figure replied in a mocking tone of voice.

The daimyo of the Land of Stone grit his teeth and looked around for an escape. The shinobi had suddenly appeared and began massacring his guards and civilians before setting their sights on him.

"Can't we compromise?" the middle-aged man pleaded, his eyes wide with terror.

The one who had been speaking with him had a mask covering half of his face and a forehead protector designating him as being part of Sunagakure's forces. "Our advantages must be pressed. After being trampled and being thrown to the wind for so long, we're retaliating. Sand is an irritant in small quantities, but now, our sandstorms will become deafening.

"Like with our own lord," the man spat, "This is the end for you." The man slashed his arm in a horizontal manner. The pulse of chakra wasn't missed by his subordinates.

The head rolling off of the body and onto the floor wasn't missed either.

The Suna-nin gazed at the now-dead daimyo impassively before turning to the masked ninja at his side. "We're done here. Ishigakure will be dealt with. Is he on his way to Kusa?"

The masked ninja bowed his head in respect. "Yes, Baki-sama. Kazekage-sama will receive confirmation whether or not they have accepted."

"Good."

Baki turned on his heel and left the daimyo's office. Outside of the room, the ornate, decorated walls were painted with blood. Bodies skewered by a variety of weapons were lying lifelessly on the marble floor.

The palace would forever be stained by the act. But, sacrifices had to be made. They forced their hand and that man came up with a proposition. It was one that would benefit Sunagakure, especially since the village had been weak ever since its conception.

Outside, the giant palace was smoking. Fires that had been started were put out and portions of the palace were missing. Even more bodies were littered on the rocky ground. Some of them had needles sticking out of their flesh. Others had more obvious signs of poisoning.

A flash of metal caught Baki's eye and he leaned down to the ground. A forehead protector with an hourglass caused him to snarl. Quickly turning to one of the men at his side, he glared the man down. His Intent caused the man to shake and gulp nervously.

Baki growled and shoved the Sunagakure forehead protector up to the man's face. "Why has this been left outside? Have we been producing fakes for no reason?" he all but yelled.

The man rubbed his brow before stuttering out a response. "Baki-sama, we'll make sure to clean the site. The fakes will be planted."

Baki snorted to himself, his lips quirking downward ever so slightly. "This had better be done. I don't want to have to leave, ah, _evidence_." The emphasis on the final word was enough to get the man to nod rapidly. "Remember, no Fuuton jutsu. Make sure all puppets are removed. We cannot be implicated."

The decapitation of the daimyo had been done in a manner reminiscent of a sword. No one would be able to tell it was a Blade of Wind.

Baki began walking up a rocky hill, deftly avoiding the random outcroppings of stone scattered throughout the ground. Once he reached the top, he turned and faced what remained of the daimyo's city.

Like the palace, there was smoke rising from a multitude of buildings. Some of the structures had portions of stone and concrete sheared off by powerful Doton jutsu. Quite a few of the civilian homes had been blown up by precise application of explosive tags.

The city was in ruins. With most of the population butchered, recovery would take years.

Ishigakure no Sato, if they refused, was next.

* * *

><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: And... war. Yep. That will be addressed.**

**I was intending to not make Neji see his differences, but I couldn't make it work. He won't mindlessly blame Kumo anymore.  
><strong>


	20. Precursor

**A/N: I'm back! Let's take a crack at this, shall we? If there are any continuity or grammar/spelling errors, let me know please! Read/Review!**

**Just so you know, there's a time-skip of six months initially.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty: Precursor<p>

_Slap!_

A boy with spiky blonde hair shook his hand out in disgust. The odd forests of the Land of Grass housed too many bugs for his liking. The weather was much too humid and made him very uncomfortable.

It was just an inconvenience, though. He could deal with it. He had a mission to do, after all.

His squad mate gave him a fanged grin for his antics, or perhaps for the grimace that was pasted on his face. Either way, she found it amusing.

"I hate this place so much," Naruto finally muttered, breaking the silence of his patrol. It wasn't a smart thing to do, but he didn't think complete and utter silence was necessary in his current situation.

Inuzuka Hana laughed at the blonde jinchuriki. "Grow up, brat. It's just a few bugs. You should've came prepared," she said. Her three canine partners barked in agreement.

The blonde ran his other hand through his hair and grumbled to himself. "I wanted to watch the chunin exams. They were in Konoha this time, too! Sasuke got time off to watch that tournament..."

The Inuzuka female snorted and jumped onto a tree branch, scanning her surroundings. "Uchiha Sasuke is stuck with an apprenticeship in a dingy office while you're out running an actual mission. You should at least realize that Hokage-sama was kind enough to let you carry out such an important task," Hana chastised.

Naruto grumbled some more, but remained silent. It was true; the Hokage had given Naruto, Inuzuka Hana, Shiranui Genma, and Yamashiro Aoba a mission to secretly patrol the Land of Grass before retrieving an intelligence report. Genma was the captain of the squad, with Aoba and Hana as sensors for enemies.

Naruto was the main muscle. Even he found that to be fairly comedic, but it did have some truth behind it. The blonde was a veritable one-man-army.

With both Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke being promoted to chunin-level shinobi, Team Seven had essentially broken up. They still got together every now and then in a show of camaraderie, but their meetings were much less common.

Despite that fact, Haruno Sakura still opted to work and reach the rank her teammates had attained. Her desire to prove herself landed her a spot in a special medical class Senju Tsunade was heading. The Slug Princess had appeared in Konoha shortly after the end of the Kirigakure Chunin Exams, much to everyone's surprise.

Well, except for the Hokage. It seemed as if he had been expecting her.

Naruto grabbed a branch and sprang forward, landing in a crouch before giving his surroundings a cursory look. He smirked slightly when he remembered the first meeting he and Tsunade had had.

She had punched him through a wall. That most definitely was _not_ his fault. Tsunade was an old grandma hiding behind a Henge! Jiraiya told him so!

Of course, Jiraiya also told him stories about her... breasts. Very painful stories, if the old pervert was telling the truth.

Their relationship always ended up demolishing a wall in the hospital whenever Naruto visited. However, she treated him amicably most of the time which was, according to the old man, due to his striking resemblance in both looks and personality to her long-dead brother.

Apparently, she had lost both her lover and dead brother in war and had to pull herself together. She left Konoha because of that reason, but had always sent reports or otherwise kept close ties with the village.

A buzzing noise caused Naruto's ears to twitch. He slapped the bug away, not particularly caring if his slap ended up killing the thing. He wasn't Shino, nor did he have a weird fascination for any type of creepy-crawlies.

"So you wanted to watch and see how well your teammate would do, right?"

Naruto turned around and gave a crouched Hana a nod. "Yeah. That way we can all team up more often. They're my team, you know?"

The Inuzuka closed her eyes for a moment, seemingly reminiscing about her old team. "I can understand how you feel. The freedom feels very nice, though. At least you have other avenues to pursue now instead of whatever guidance your sensei impresses on you."

"I liked having someone teaching me," Naruto said. "I never really paid attention in the academy." Naruto shrugged in response to Hana's barking laugh. She probably knew about that. Everyone knew about the ridiculous pranks he used to pull when he was supposed to be in class.

"But you're right. It's nice being able to get missions without worrying about what Kakashi-sensei would say." The Uzumaki frowned slightly. "I can never find Kakashi-sensei when I need help on a technique or if I'm unsure on how to do a particular jutsu. Jiraiya-sensei is either at the hot springs or drunk off his ass."

He received a deadpan look in response. Naruto grinned at Hana and jumped onto an extremely large, oddly colored mushroom before continuing on to the rendezvous point. Once Hana and her partners were next to him, she sniffed the air once and curtly nodded.

Four ninja jumped into an overgrown clearing. Two of them were chunin; the others were quite nearly jounin-level shinobi in terms of rank alone.

"You guys find anything?" Genma began, the senbon in his mouth bobbing as he spoke.

Hana shook her head. "No suspicious scents. I can still recognize the one we were given, though."

Aoba rubbed his chin. "Yes, there's been a similar signature floating around the area. You all know when to meet this person, correct?"

As if they were being controlled by one person, all of the older shinobi looked straight at Naruto, whose lips quirked. "You're all very funny. Tomorrow night, ten kilometers from that farming village's west entrance."

Genma chuckled. "You're generally correct, at least. Who's up for first watch tonight?"

Naruto volunteered. He had the most energy out of all of them and his clones were great lookouts. They were very difficult to find if they wanted to hide, too. Kakashi-sensei had once told him how adept he was at stealth.

That particular ability had been improved when Jiraiya kept smacking him in an effort to curb his loud desire for attention. It had worked, but attention still made Naruto giddy.

Naruto settled down on a particularly thick branch, tugging at his green chunin vest. Sometimes he still wished an orange-colored vest had been available, impractical as it would be.

The following day, after the squad had again patrolled the area, they began to pick their way through the odd jungle. The meeting point with the ambiguous spy needed to be reached and thankfully, the location was not too far away.

When they reached the designated area, Genma had them spread out, with Naruto seeding the area with a number of shadow clones. Each clone transformed into an inconspicuous leaf or branch in order to provide backup should an issue arise.

None of them expected any sort of ambush or issue, but it never hurt to be prepared. The presence of Aoba and Hana would be a boon as well.

The hours began to tick by, with Naruto taking advantage of the silence by rapidly flipping through hand seals. Sure, quite a few of his jutsu did not require him to use hand seals anymore, but Sasuke's hand seal speed was still much greater than his own.

Itachi's was even more ridiculous. A shudder ran down Naruto's spine; Itachi was downright _scary_ when he launched jutsu.

It was one of the few times where Naruto wished he had the Sharingan so he could at least see the seals Itachi would run through.

As the sun began to sink in the horizon, Naruto's eyes caught a glint. The signal was received and Genma tentatively jumped down to meet whoever the spy was.

The spy was a kunoichi with somewhat dark skin and long, white hair. She had a green bandana on, as well as a forehead protector that defined her as a ninja of Kusagakure.

Genma approached the ninja, stance relaxed yet wary a the same time, and began to converse with her in hushed tones. The kunoichi glanced around in response before replying. She hastily stuffed a set of papers in Genma's hands before backing away.

Naruto watched her leave and frowned slightly. For some reason, he still expected some sort of awesome confrontation, especially since he was tasked to retrieve possibly sensitive information.

Maybe he was still childish at heart.

Genma scanned over the papers and snapped his fingers. Naruto and his other two teammates landed next to their captain. "We're heading back," Genma ordered with a hint of steel in his voice.

"Now?"

"Yes, Naruto. Something's wrong with Kusagakure, apparently."

Genma didn't give Naruto a chance to reply as he immediately burst out of the clearing with impressive speed, forcing Naruto to begin following him.

They made rather good time due to not being allowed to rest. Naruto decided to remain quiet, realizing that a potentially serious situation was brewing.

At least he'd be able to find out if some of his friends were promoted sooner.

**VvVvV**

(Konoha)

"He's not going to be awake at this point of time, you know."

"Why not? He probably snores loud enough to wake himself up!"

"Troublesome... why do we have to do this? You can rub it in his face some other time, Kiba. I want to go back to sleep..."

Three teenagers and one dog walked up to the door of Naruto's apartment. These three ninja had been promoted in the recent chunin exams for exemplary performances that made the judges deem them ready for the responsibilities of a chunin.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the boys' bickering. "Naruto's probably still tired from the mission. You know what Sasuke-kun said," she informed.

"Ah, what does Sasuke know? He's too busy with police work to really care about what's going on."

"Troublesome mutt... he got promoted before you did. I'm sure he knows _something_," Shikamaru drawled.

"It'd be one more thing than you, Kiba," Sakura quipped, smirking slightly at Kiba's indignant growl. "Since you dragged us out here, you can knock on his door. It's not my fault if he punches you for waking him up." She added the last part as a small warning.

Kiba huffed and pounded on the door a few times. He waited a few seconds for a response and began pounding away again. "Hey, Naruto! Open up!" the Inuzuka called.

Finally, there was some shuffling around from within the apartment. The door creaked open and a dead-looking Naruto with bags underneath his eyes appeared, yawning loudly in the face of his friends.

"Damn, you look like you're about to fall over," Kiba noted, barely restraining a snort at his friend's condition.

Naruto muttered something unintelligible before yawning again. He turned around and walked back into his apartment, but left the door open. Sakura, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Akamaru took it as an invitation and walked into the blonde's home.

Running water could be heard from somewhere else in the apartment. "Make yourselves at home," a shadow clone said, suddenly appearing from the shadows. "Boss needs to wake up."

"He's as dead on his feet as Hana is," Kiba muttered. His mom had punched him in the back of his head so that he couldn't bother his sister when she returned from her two-week-long mission.

The clone snickered. "Not surprising, considering our captain forced us to run full-speed for about a day and a half back to Konoha."

Sakura looked surprised at that. "Why were you running at full speed? Anything bad happen?" The shadow clone shrugged in response and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The real Naruto walked into the room. Although his hair was wet, he had clothes on, as well as his chunin vest. The blonde looked much more awake, too. "So, why did you guys decide to ruin my beauty sleep? I was hoping to sleep in until after lunch," Naruto said.

"Cute," Sakura dryly replied. "We came to tell you that we got promoted."

Naruto blinked owlishly at her a few times before grinning widely. As quick as it had come though, the grin was replaced by a frown. "Where are your vests?"

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. "Don't believe us?"

"No, I believe you and Shika, but Kiba's not that smart."

Akamaru barked his agreement. "Hey! Traitor!" Kiba yelled.

"Shut up," Shikamaru finally muttered, groaning slightly in annoyance. "Our vests haven't been given out yet since they're still reviewing some of the other candidates, but we've already been designated as chunin."

"Congratulations," Naruto said, his grin reappearing in his face. "Finally, Team Seven can take missions together again!" The declaration was finished with an exaggerated fist pump.

"You could always take missions with us, but now we don't need permission from Kakashi-sensei," Sakura commented.

The jinchuriki's eyes glinted. "Actually, what I really want to do is fight you, Sakura," Naruto cheerfully announced.

Kiba turned to Sakura. "I thought you said he would try to punch me..."

"Shut up!" Sakura hissed. She returned her attention to Naruto and gave him a sickly-sweet grin. "No _bolstering_ yourself, even if Jiraiya-sama is making you do it every now and then."

"You know I don't like... bolstering myself," Naruto replied with a grimace, catching onto what Sakura was talking about.

"Good," Sakura curtly replied, ignoring the confused expressions Shikamaru and Kiba had. "Come on, you two can watch me beat the living snot out of Naruto."

Kiba burst out laughing at that particular image, much to Naruto's ire. Despite that, Naruto strapped on his kunai and shuriken pouch and left with his three friends (and a dog), locking the door to his home as he left.

They chatted animatedly about nonsensical things. Naruto hadn't had a good talk with his teammate in quite a while. Sakura had been preparing for the exams much more ever since Naruto told her his secret two months ago.

She had taken it remarkably well, although she seemed a little annoyed at him for telling Sasuke first. The pink-haired kunoichi had also seemed _very_ annoyed at her parents for some reason, but Naruto knew better than to pry.

When they reached Training Field Nine, Naruto and Sakura took their positions opposite of each other. Shikamaru decided- no, was _forced_- to referee the spar. There were no restraints, but lethal force obviously wasn't allowed.

Kiba and Akamaru plopped down nearby. The Inuzuka was eagerly anticipating throwing insults into the brawl without immediate repercussion.

Rather than wait for the wind to pick up or some other dramatic event, Naruto opted to strike first. He sprang forward, kicking up some dust and blurring towards Sakura. When Naruto's fist made contact, her body faded from existence.

Instincts screaming, Naruto whipped around and blasted out wind from his palms, knocking away the multitude of kunai that were behind him. Sakura looked him in the eye and went through three hand seals before jumping forward.

Naruto knew he was better at taijutsu than Sakura. Sure, she was beginning to pick up some of that freakish strength Tsunade had, but only just. It wasn't enough to make her too much of a threat.

Sakura's fist came in quick and straight. Naruto attempted to bat it away, but his arm didn't quite respond right. It went too high and Sakura successfully landed a strike to his chest. Another one followed shortly afterward that hit his stomach, and then a kick sent him stumbling backward.

He'd been hit harder before, but his sense of balance and perception felt off. If it wasn't a poison, then it was probably an illusion meant to mess with him. Naruto's chakra surged through his body, shaking the effects of the illusion off.

Blue chains that exuded a slight glow appeared around his forearms. The bandages no longer remained; it had been a long time since he had injured himself with chakra flow and he had enough control to use his chakra chains without a physical anchor.

A whip of water materialized around Sakura's right hand, with part of it floating above the ground. Naruto raised an eyebrow at that; he didn't have nearly enough control to do such a thing.

But, he might as well demonstrate something new he could do with his chains.

Sakura lashed out with the whip. It slithered through the air like a snake and attempted to coil around his torso, but Naruto wasn't going to stand still. He jumped straight up to avoid the attack, but to his surprise, the whip followed him.

His chains unwrapped themselves from his forearms and began to vibrate. Sakura's whip sped up, making contact with one of his whips that he was using defensively. His body jolted as he felt some electricity course through his body.

The chain that had made contact with the whip vanished and Naruto landed on the ground, taking a deep breath to calm him shaking hand. "That's totally not fair," Naruto whined. "I can't use Raiton jutsu! It's so much more difficult than everything else!"

Sakura grinned wickedly at her blonde teammate. "What a shame," she said, sounding much too happy for his tastes. She brought her arm back and then snapped it forward, sending the water whip flying towards him once again.

Naruto's chains shortened and smaller chains were pushed out from the other tenketsu in his body, making him look like a deformed hedgehog with spines. He grimaced at the unpleasant feeling- apparently, he still needed practice to get over it.

Still, he had to thank Hana for the inspiration and Chouji for the help.

A blue sheen of chakra quickly surrounded Naruto's body and he ran forward in a large burst of speed. Sure, there were easier ways to get things done, but he wanted to show his new jutsu off. The chakra around his body began rotating forward, lifting him off of his feet and making him look like some sort of spiky wheel.

The blonde tucked his knees to his chest as he continued to roll, the chains carving deep grooves into the ground below him. He felt the whip make contact, but it was shredded by the speed at which he was rolling.

Sakura clapped her hands together and spat out a water bullet in an attempt to derail or send the rolling Naruto away, but failed. She jumped to the side as Naruto rumbled by her, unaware of the chain that shot out of its side.

It wound around her leg and dragged her straight towards Naruto, who was now on a collision course with her. Due to her surprise and bewilderment, Sakura was unable to use the replacement technique.

Of course, Naruto wasn't one to harm his teammates- Sasuke exempt- so he ended the attack, dispersing all of his visible chakra and his chains in one go. Due to his speed, he rolled along the ground for a few seconds before jumping up and standing unsteadily.

Sakura eyed the blonde carefully. "...What was that?" she quietly asked, a slight amount of awe present in her voice.

Kiba rose to his feet with an unsatisfied grunt. "That was really boring. I think I get better spars out of Shino. That rolling thing was pretty neat though." He didn't pay attention to the sheer amount of chakra Naruto was using.

"Did Chouji help you with that?" Shikamaru hadn't even moved from his position. He was still lying on the ground disinterestedly. It was surprising that he had even managed to watch the spar from his position.

The jinchuriki took a few deep breaths to collect himself and then nodded. "Yeah, he did. It's supposed to be used with my claws but I wanted to try it without them. It's pretty unpleasant to use though," he admitted.

"I can see that," Sakura murmured. "You've only gotten stronger Naruto, but what do you think about me?"

"How did you use Suiton and Raiton jutsu at the same time?" he queried, walking up to Sakura with an interested expression on his face.

The pink-haired chunin smirked to herself. "A lot of control. Kakashi-sensei helped me with the Raiton jutsu and Tsunade-sama's training gave me enough to control to combine the two jutsu without hurting myself."

"Baa-chan's a pretty hardcore teacher," he said, nodding to himself. "I'm out to get some Ichiraku's... I haven't eaten my breakfast yet. Anyone want to come?"

Sakura frowned, though whether it was at the nickname her teammate had for her master or at the fact that he was eating ramen for breakfast was unclear. "Didn't Kakashi-sensei tell you not to eat ramen for breakfast?"

"They have other types of food too, you know," Naruto informed, a bit annoyed that Sakura still thought he was eating ramen for breakfast.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Maybe that was a habit she would end up stuck in. "All right, I'll come along. Kiba, Shikamaru, you two want to come?"

Snores were heard from Shikamaru's direction but Kiba opted to follow them. After a hearty "welcome back" to Naruto from Teuchi and Ayame, the three customers (and one dog) ordered their food, which was going to be completely ramen-free.

"You never mentioned what your mission was about," Kiba noted, peering at Naruto from the corners of his eyes.

Naruto blinked and glanced at the feral ninja. "Didn't you ask your sister?"

"Mom wouldn't let me wake her. All I know is that you guys ran straight back to Konoha."

"Obviously," Sakura said. "You were dead on your feet when we saw you."

"We had to pick up some report from... someone," Naruto replied. "We were near the border of the Land of Grass." The blonde still didn't really know just who the spy was, but that was probably the point.

"So then why'd you hightail it out of there?" Kiba asked, briefly thanking Ayame for the food she handed him.

"I don't know. The captain of the mission just told us to leave and we did." Naruto's shoulders sagged despite the food placed in front of him. "I was the slowest one there... but at least I can outrun them in endurance!"

"Hana's been a chunin for years and she's almost as fast as mom," Kiba muttered, shaking his head. "I'd be surprised if you could keep up with her."

"I'm just wondering what the report was for..." Sakura furrowed her brow in thought, but eventually began to eat.

"Maybe the old man will tell me," Naruto mused. "I'll have to ask him later." The blonde finished up his food, slapped some money down, and bid his friends good-bye.

Sakura and Kiba remained in the stall for a few minutes longer. "Do you think that information was a spy report?" Sakura quietly asked.

"I don't know. Kurenai-sensei told us that skirmishes with Iwa- and Suna-nin are beginning to occur more and more often. Iwagakure's pretty angry at Amegakure too," Kiba whispered back. Akamaru whined from nearby, sensing his master's distress.

"I don't think Amegakure's done anything wrong."

"Why?"

Sakura inhaled through her mouth and then exhaled through her nose. "Naruto told me that Amegakure has been following an isolationist policy for quite a while, but its leader is kinder than the previous one. Why would they instigate an attack?"

Kiba had no answer for that. His sensei was the one who had been keeping up with what had been going on. However, no one could really predict what was going to happen.

**VvVvV**

(Amegakure no Sato)

"Yagura does send his support, you know," Nagato muttered to his long-time friend. They were brothers in all but blood.

The leader of Amegakure sighed to himself and ran a hand through his orange, spiky hair. "I know, but there's already been casualties." There was a tinge of irritation in his voice.

Nagato silenced his reply. He took off his glasses and wandered over to the nearby window. His ringed eyes gazed over the tall buildings, expertly taking in their details. "Have you tried to contact the Tsuchikage?"

"I've had as much luck as you have," Yahiko replied with some sarcasm. "All hawks have been sent back or simply killed. It's rather annoying."

The redhead nodded sagely. "Yes, I can see that. They're expensive to raise, aren't they?"

Yahiko's frown was disturbed as his lips quirked up. "I suppose Onoki has enough reason to be alarmed with those Oto-nin running about nearby."

"You realize they've been sighted in the Land of Lightning too, correct?"

"The Land of Lightning, now? Do you have any idea how they're getting there without drawing attention to themselves? I'm afraid you're much more worldly than I am, Crybaby."

Nagato laughed at the nickname. Yahiko still threw it out whenever he was feeling stressed or when the weight of leadership caused his spirits to drop too much. "I'm not sure how they're doing it, but Jiraiya-sensei thinks his old teammate's behind it."

There was a grunt of distaste from the orange-haired man's lips.

"Plus, with the murder of the Land of Stone's daimyo and the destruction of Ishigakure..."

"I get it, Nagato. Onoki is on edge due to the destruction of his buffer. I still don't know why the blame has been pinned on us. The old man should know as well as any other that we have no reason to goad him into war."

"Unfortunately, the Hokage's backing didn't quite help." Nagato turned to Yahiko, a grim look in his ringed eyes. "If it comes down to it, are we going to mobilize?"

"This country hasn't seen war in a decade. I wish I could keep it like that..." Yahiko trailed off, appearing uncertain.

"I know. But, we should at least be vigilant. I have more information from the Hokage." Yahiko remained silent, prompting his childhood friend to continue. "The presence of the foreign shinobi is causing some ninja villages to become wary."

That was obvious. "Not in a good way, I presume?"

"Of course not," Nagato muttered. "Suna's gone all but silent after Ishigakure was sacked. There has been no response to any questions at all. Yagura has nothing to fear, but the Hokage is assuming the worst at the urging of his advisers."

"Just like Onoki," Yahiko replied. "Konoha and Iwa will not work together, even if it is to attack Suna. If Suna attacks Iwagakure or intrudes, we're going to be hit by the fallout, just like we are now."

"That's assuming if Suna actually does anything. The Oto-nin are still popping about. You know how I said they were seen in the Land of Lightning? The Raikage has announced that he is addressing the issue."

The leader of Amegakure restrained his laugh to a snort. "The Raikage's more likely to take advantage of the foreign ninja than to remove them. I'd actually be more concerned that they might be in cohorts with him if he hadn't deigned to reply."

"You sound like Yagura. Kumo wasn't very well received at the exams several months ago. In fact, there was some talk that the genin from Kumo taking that exam were ordered to kill any genin that could be seen as possibly threatening. No one acted on it, however.

"That's not quite the main issue I want to talk about, though." Nagato took a breath and continued speaking, "On my way back here, Jiraiya-sensei gave me something." the redhead produced a file from somewhere and handed it over.

Yahiko flipped through some pages before clenching his fists. "Kusagakure has been keeping Oto-nin in reserve... and they're planning to retract their neutrality pact with Konoha. Without them, Iwagakure can just stamp through if they wish."

"I doubt that. Their foreign helpers are more than enough to help defend their positioning. What's more worrying is that without Konoha's hold on them, we're not so well-protected. River Country does not have an active ninja village and Takigakure is the remaining buffer between Konoha and Iwa."

"...I guess we have no choice, do we?" Yahiko said.

"I know you've been reluctant to solidify a treaty between Konoha and Kiri, but it would seriously help at this point," Nagato commented.

There was a weary sigh. "I'd rather be safe than sorry. Do you mind heading out again, or do you wish to spend some time with Karin? I'm sure Konan would be happy to see you too," Yahiko remarked.

"I'm going to take Karin with me to Konoha. I can leave her there while I head to Kiri. I'm sure she would be happy to go, too," the redhead replied.

Yahiko shrugged. "As long as she adheres to protocol."

Nagato nodded and left the room, replacing his glasses as he did so. He had more traveling to do... but he didn't mind it.

He had to find Karin first, of course. His friend hadn't mentioned her being on a mission, so Nagato extended his senses in order to find his relative.

**VvVvV**

(Kumogakure no Sato)

A young man with white hair had a small grin on his face, causing his glasses to flash. They dropped down slightly, but he pushed them back up with two fingers, being careful not to smudge the lens.

"Don't bullshit me," the Raikage grumbled, scowling at the suspicious ninja in front of him. "Why the hell would your master offer his services? We're not about to attack Konoha because he has some stupid grudge."

Kabuto had to bite his tongue to keep from uttering a retort. The Raikage was too brutish for his tastes, but like all commanders, the man knew what to do in times of war. He needed incentives to attempt a war, not to mention a valid reason.

Although it was a shadow of its former self, Konoha's reputation as the strongest ninja village was as sturdy as any fortification. Konoha's recent alliances gave Suna a reliable excuse to attack and was enough of an action to make Iwa and Kumo wary.

Not that they weren't already with Orochimaru's men quietly preying on trade routes and richer villages. It was nearly enough to act as a threat.

But, Kabuto valued his life, and so did the Raikage. On orders from Orochimaru, Kabuto had been spying on the lands and supplying the man with information. It was he who had persuaded the Raikage to send soldiers to Kiri in order to gauge their strength.

Some of A's advisers did not trust him. It was to be expected, but thankfully, the leaders of Kumogakure had always been rather power-hungry.

"No, that's not the reason, Raikage-sama," Kabuto replied, making sure he sounded both submissive and respectful. "Have you been informed of the discussions between the Hokage, the Mizukage, and the leader of Amegakure no Sato?"

The burly man grunted. "That old coot's finally cutting his losses with Suna. Took him long enough. Those damn fools have already destroyed Ishi, or so you've said."

Kabuto smirked. "Yes, they have. The Tsuchikage is trying to maintain order, but people are becoming afraid. Amegakure's isolation hasn't helped matters and with Kusa siding with us, the borders have thinned enough for havoc to spread. Isn't it wonderful?

"The Land of Frost is easy pickings and the Land of Snow has already accepted Orochimaru-sama's proposition. All you would have to do is maintain your land from assaults by Kirigakure. That shouldn't be too difficult. We can even supply you with additional manpower."

Kabuto made to continue speaking, but the Raikage silenced him by furiously slamming his right fist onto his desk hard enough to leave a deep impression. "Enough! I already know the state of the nations around me! We have nothing to gain from provoking Konoha or Yagura himself!"

The Raikage was annoyed. There really was nothing to gain from the war unless his village was left on standby. Really, they would benefit the most by watching the other villages weaken and destroy themselves.

By then, their power would be enough to draw missions away from the weakened villages. If need be, his forces could then sweep in and destroy any remaining enemies, perhaps even gaining a weapon or two in the exchange.

"You wouldn't have to deal with Iwagakure, of course," Kabuto said, deciding to speak once more. "They currently do not have any of their deterrents, unlike Suna."

The Raikage turned back to Kabuto, raising an eyebrow. He had thought the village still had its jinchuriki, but apparently not. Suna would deal with them much quicker than he thought. "I'm still not convinced," A rumbled.

"Then, perhaps, your own spies are well-aware of Kirigakure's missing jinchuriki, correct?" There was a curt nod. "Let's just say that that one's allegiances have, ah, _changed_."

A's eyes widened. "_What_? When did this happen?"

The white-haired man with spectacles chuckled lowly. "Oh, quite a while ago. Orochimaru-sama found him disillusioned with reality and offered him a place to call his own. It's not as if Orochimaru-sama would turn down such a thing. Just don't expect him to make an effort to find more. They aren't usually insured very well."

Kabuto met the Raikage's piercing gaze unflinchingly. After a few seconds, the large man folded his arms and said, "I'll think about it. If you can cause a spark and it appears useful, I will call your master."

A sickly-sweet smile appeared on Kabuto's visage. "Of course, Raikage-sama. At your leave." The burly man made a random gesture, obviously not paying attention to Orochimaru's right-hand man, and Kabuto left the room, bowing as he did so.

Mabui found herself walking up close to the Raikage and giving him a worried look. "Are you sure we can trust him, Raikage-sama?" Anyone that was associated with Orochimaru made most people wary almost immediately and the Raikage's secretary was no exception.

"I'm sure we can't," the Raikage muttered, "but the chance to usurp Konoha and cut Iwa loose is very... tantalizing. I fully believe we have an advantage at the moment too." Mabui nodded, realizing who her boss was speaking about.

"We're just going to observe for now." Mabui nearly stopped as she left the room, but mulled that final comment around in her head. At the very least, she had time to try and stop her leader from causing even more unnecessary destruction and chaos.

It was a lot better than seeing the horrors of war once more.

**VvVvV**

(Konoha)

Naruto kicked open the door to the old man's office like he always did. It was dramatic, not to mention funny. Plus, he wanted to familiarize himself with the office that he was going to take over when he was older.

That was his set of excuses. In truth, he just liked being immature every now and then.

"Naruto, I wish you wouldn't do that whenever I specifically ask for you," the Sandaime Hokage said in exasperation.

The blonde rubbed his head sheepishly as he realized there were other people in the room. His two teammates looked mortified at his actions while his old sensei wasn't paying much attention at all, too absorbed in his orange book to care.

There was a subtle amount of killing intent directed towards Kakashi, causing Naruto to quirk an eyebrow. He closed the door behind him, finally revealing that his distant relatives- possibly distant relatives- were also in the office, much to his surprise.

There was a low chuckle from the red-haired man, who threw an amused look in Naruto's direction. "He really never runs out of energy, does he?" Nagato asked.

"Not really, no," Kakashi said, snapping his book shut and stowing it away, not even caring about the killing intent Karin was radiating. The masked man gave Naruto an eye-smile. "So how are you, Naruto?"

"What's going on here, old man?"

"Doesn't he show respect to your leaders?" Karin asked, raising a dainty eyebrow.

"No," Sasuke and Sakura replied almost instantaneously. Naruto immediately deflated, looking a bit embarrassed at that fact.

"I really hate you guys..." Naruto whined. He perked up shortly afterward and gave Nagato and Karin an extremely wide grin. "So what are you guys doing here?"

"We're going to escort Karin back to her home village since Nagato is heading to Kirigakure," Kakashi explained, answering in place of the Hokage.

"Although she did get promoted, the increasing... traffic throughout the Land of Fire, especially near the borders, has made it unsafe for her to travel alone," Nagato added. "She has some important information to give to the leader of our home village as well." It seemed as if Nagato was giving Konoha much confidence.

"So does this mean we'll be able to explore your village?"

"With certain restrictions," Karin informed. "We'll be heading out almost immediately, by the way. Like Nagato-sensei said, the lands are becoming more dangerous."

The blonde Uzumaki frowned. "We don't have enough ninja to police the place, right?"

"Correct, Naruto," the Hokage praised, nodding his head slightly. "We only go out if the issue grows great enough or if we are hired." Naruto wasn't quite sure he liked the sound of that.

"Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura have been ready for a trip that spans a few weeks. Are you-"

"I'm ready, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto interrupted. He tapped his chunin vest with a small smirk on his face.

"So you're progressing rather rapidly, are you?"

Naruto glanced at the older redhead. "Yeah, I am. Well, I'd like to think so anyway. It's hard since Jiraiya-sensei is adamant on me teaching myself, but I'm getting there."

The older man turned back to the Hokage, nodded his thanks, and handed over an envelope. Nagato exchanged good-bye's with Karin and then left the room, explaining that he had to leave as soon as possible.

The blonde watched him leave and then muttered, "So I guess this is important, huh?"

The Hokage smiled slightly. "Yes, you will receive pay equal to an A-rank mission due to the high possibility of being attacked on the way to Amegakure."

"Just like my last mission?"

"This is very similar to your last mission, Naruto. The main difference is that there is no _special person_ involved."

"So then how is it similar to my-"

"Naruto, we're heading out," Kakashi-sensei informed. "Bring Karin-san with you and head to the main gates."

Naruto really wanted to argue more, but received a stern look from his sensei (as well as Sakura) and shrugged, leaving with Karin in tow.

He chatted animatedly with her until they reached the gate, much to her enjoyment. Hey, they were somewhat related, so... why not?

Although Sasuke and Sakura had small knapsacks, Kakashi had nothing with him and neither did Karin and Naruto. The latter two were a tad bit skilled in sealing however, so they didn't quite need to carry a storage space.

"All right, are you all ready? We're going to be heading east for a few kilometers, and then we'll hit a fork in the road. By then, we'll be able to find the path to the main border station between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire, which is manned by friendlies. Do you all understand?"

The three chunin of Team Seven cried, "Yes, Kakashi-sensei!" Karin remained silent as Hatake Kakashi was not her actual sensei. She still nodded respectfully, signaling she understood what the plan was.

"Let's go."

Team Seven plus one kunoichi from Amegakure launched themselves into the trees, intent on finishing their mission as soon as possible. There was danger brewing, after all.

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><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: I hope this was satisfactory. It was mostly filler, but I wanted to get you guys informed about the state of things.**

**Naruto's new technique was inspired from two video games and I decided to roll with it (HA). I'm not sure if I got the characterization down since I haven't written this in two months.  
><strong>

**Anyway, if there are any issues, please let me know. Read and Review! It makes me happy when my mistakes/errors/continuity derps are corrected!**


	21. Escalation

**A/N: Shorter chapter than before because I thought the end was a good place to stop. If there are any contradictions, errors, or stuff like that, let me know via PM or review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-One: Escalation<p>

Naruto jabbed his hand out in a quick knife-strike. His foe sidestepped the attack, but had to jump directly up to avoid the next swipe from the blonde's right hand.

His foe landed and slowly rose from his crouched position. The mask covering his lower face reminded him strongly of Kakashi, but the headband made Naruto grind his teeth together. Of course, his team had to be attacked...

Although, it wasn't quite like that. Traveling through the Land of Fire had been uneventful. Team Seven and Karin had rested a few times before speeding towards the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire.

There hadn't been any confrontations. The entire time, things had been relatively peaceful save for a few spars during the mornings. No enemies had been found at all.

It made Naruto wonder about why the Hokage thought the Land of Fire was becoming rife with bandits and possible foreign ninja. It also made Naruto wonder that even if that were true, why the daimyo wouldn't spend money to protect his citizens.

Weren't the lords supposed to do things like that?

As Naruto deftly batted away a volley of shuriken with his claws, he frowned at how his enemies were found. It wasn't just one foreign ninja Team Seven had found, but several, all of which had immediately attacked and split the group up.

The blonde had enough trust in his team to know that they wouldn't need help. He didn't know how strong Karin was against multiple foes, however, and he was worried about her. She was technically an Uzumaki like he was, after all.

The group of ninja with forehead protectors that had a musical note on them were found right on the border between the two lands. The border station itself had been oddly deserted while the enemy ninja had been staking the place out.

Luckily, their attempt at an ambush was foiled quite easily by both Kakashi and Karin. They hadn't been caught off-guard.

Regardless, the fact that these ninja had control of a small part of the border was unsettling. When had they moved in and how had they been maintaining their position? Why hadn't other ninja already found them? Why hadn't the daimyo's samurai force actually looked into such a thing?

The implications were bad. The folly could probably be pinned on the daimyo. It was his duty to maintain his borders and to alert Konohagakure no Sato about anything that was going down within the borders.

Ninja were superior to samurai in every way and Konoha was essentially the only useful army that stood between some semblance of order in the Land of Fire and total anarchy.

Naruto thrust his fingers outward, firing small bullets of air from his clawed fingertips. The high velocity of the attack struck his enemy head-on, piercing through the man's vital organs and killing him almost immediately.

The blonde nudged the fallen ninja with his toe before searching him for anything useful. Unfortunately, he didn't find anything. No mission orders, no identification, nothing. The man had to have been a disposable pawn.

There was a rustling in a nearby bush, causing Naruto to quickly palm and throw a kunai in the direction of the noise. There was an indignant shout and Sasuke stumbled out, brushing off leaves and other debris from his clothing.

"Thanks for throwing a deadly weapon at me," Sasuke dryly remarked, glaring at Naruto.

"Did I miss?" Naruto joked, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He straightened up immediately after, realizing the seriousness of the situation. "Do you know where the other three went?"

Onyx bled into red as Sasuke scanned his surroundings, searching for any remnants of chakra. He found two and pointed in the general direction of them. "Should we split up?"

The blonde shook his head and created three clones, sending them in one of the directions Sasuke had pointed out. "Come on, let's go. I'd rather we stick together so we know where the other is," Naruto explained.

The two jumped into the trees and sped forward, making sure to remain on the trail of chakra. Sasuke's eyes proved particularly useful – at least, more useful than Naruto's clones would be.

Luckily, the two found Karin, glaring down at two downed ninja. Both of them were unmoving and what little of their skin was visible looked quite pale. Closer inspection revealed them to be not dead, but merely incapacitated.

"Well, that was smart," Naruto muttered. In hindsight, he should've kept his own enemy alive, but his attacks weren't meant to incapacitate; the amount of chakra he regularly pumped into his jutsu made sure they would be deadly. It was one of the main reasons he was considered 'muscle'.

"Did you two kill your own marks?" the redhead asked. The two teammates nodded. "Then we're going to have to get some info out of these guys. I hope you two know how to extract information."

Sasuke jerked a thumb at his eyes while Naruto tapped his claws together. Karin got the message. "Good, because it's not a good idea to lug these guys around," the kunoichi added.

The three decided to split the two ninja apart. They would still be near each other, though. The screams of a comrade could really loosen tongues if the positioning was right.

Naruto jammed the antidote Karin had given him into his prisoner's thigh. The blonde chunin waited for the man to wake up. "Oi, are you awake?" The man glared at him and predictably kept his mouth shut. "So, why were you guys out here?"

No response.

"You know, I could always kill you like I killed your teammates," Naruto nonchalantly said. Again, there was no response. Naruto tapped his foot, waiting for the screaming to begin.

He waited a few minutes before there was a screech of shock and pain. A passive, emotionless stare began to make his prisoner squirm. It was almost funny, considering a grown man was beginning to appear nervous in front of a younger ninja.

"You'll never get anything out of me or my comrades," the man spat. The voice was scratchy and gruff.

Another scream pierced the clearing, shattering the silence that had returned to it. This time, the scream was drawn out, as if whatever torture being inflicted was continually occurring over a period of time.

"You know, the people who are playing with your comrades don't have these." He brandished his claws, looking over them with an almost loving expression.

It was all a ruse, of course. Naruto needed to get the man nervous and jumpy.

The man remained silent, even as the screaming increased in pitch. Naruto's ears twitched; the noise was beginning the grate on his nerves.

After an additional minute, during which the blonde's own prisoner said nothing, the screaming abruptly cut off, followed by a hushed, warbling whispering.

"It seems as if you're wrong," the Uzumaki noted. His prisoner's eyes widened slightly, the only thing that could show off any type of emotion. "Let's see if I can do the same."

There was a loud, grotesque _squelch_, and the whispering ended. Naruto began leaking Killing Intent. It wasn't anything powerful; at least, not like Jiraiya's or Kakashi's, but it would do the job.

By the time Naruto let up, the man was shaking, but not speaking. "Ready to talk?" the blonde calmly asked.

"N-No! I won't!" The man had begun to stutter.

There was a sigh and a subsequent scream. Naruto was shredding the man's arms, leaving deep cuts where he was dragging his nails. They never actually made contact due to Chakra Flow.

"I won't! I won't!" the man screamed, repeating the words over and over again. His voice rose to a hysteric crescendo before the man's eyes rolled up and he passed out.

A quick slash ripped the man's throat open, ensuring his death. Naruto walked away from the corpse, casting one last thoughtful eye on the grisly sight before walking up to where Karin and Sasuke were.

Their own prisoner was dead, but there was much less blood. Sasuke had likely used an illusion with his Sharingan and Karin had probably dealt the death blow. Poison was a neat way to remove someone's future. The loud _squelch_ didn't really go with that theory, but Naruto opted not to ask.

"Anything?" Naruto prompted, folding his arms.

Sasuke nodded. "We have something, but I'm not sure how important it is. He said that any kind of border control is easily dealt with due to some special ability one of their ninja has."

"He wasn't very specific and this group of people didn't really show off any special abilities. At least, on the outside they didn't." Naruto, Sasuke, and Karin all snapped their eyes towards where their sensei, as well as their pink-haired teammate, were entering.

Kakashi had a grave look in his single revealed eye. "Did any of you check their vitals? If you check their insides you'll find some of them have more than one kind of vital organ."

Sakura shuddered slightly. "The one I killed had three lungs." More organs did mean more targets, but also more chances to fail. If there were more than one kind of organ, then it was possible for the strange ninja to still function properly if an organ was destroyed.

"It could be a bloodline limit," Naruto suggested.

Sasuke shook his head. "If it was a bloodline limit, it would be better known. Having more than one set of a certain type of organ is useful for transplants. Right, Sakura?" Sakura confirmed Sasuke's guess. Organ transplants were useful for emergencies.

Kakashi rubbed the side of his face. "It's likely that there's someone who works for the leader of the rebels that experiments on them. Either that, or there is someone who deals with these kinds of things. The Hokage might already know."

"We're not heading back, are we?" Karin asked, her eyebrows arching worriedly.

"No," Kakashi replied. "Since we're at the border, we should continue onward. I believe Hokage-sama told me that your leader doesn't allow for intruders in your country, correct?"

"That's true," Karin admitted.

Each foreign ninja that had been killed had his body burned and ashes scattered. The five ninja entered the Land of Rain and deferred to Karin as she led the way to her home village.

**VvVvV**

(Amegakure no Sato)

In Naruto's opinion, at first glance Amegakure looked extremely depressing. How the people who resided in the village weren't completely so confused him. Perhaps they had gotten used to the gloomy, rainy weather?

If it weren't for the atmosphere of the place, the blonde jinchuriki definitely would've stayed away from the village. Depressing environments just weren't his style.

Where the rain made everything cool and dark, the people made everything lively and enjoyable. The streets weren't quite filled with people, but there were bars and couples chatting underneath protection from the falling droplets.

Many shops had some sort of sign that emitted bright light, all of which drew his attention to them. That was probably their purpose, but it still interested him. He'd never seen anything like it before.

In fact, truth be told, he hadn't seen anything like Amegakure before. The buildings were exceptionally large; some were even nearly as large as the Hokage Monument back in Konoha!

Many of the buildings themselves were made out of some type of sturdy steel and seemed resistant to the wind that occasionally accompanied the pouring rain. Naruto guessed that people lived in these tall buildings, reminding him of the inns back in Konoha and also in various other villages.

"So, you guys like my home?"

"It's cold," Sakura noted with a grimace. "It's also pretty wet."

Karin giggled at that. "Yes, it's different than the climate in the Land of Fire. I wouldn't trade it for anything else, though. It's home to the people who live here and it's home to me."

"Should we find somewhere to stay?" Naruto asked, moving underneath a nearby balcony to avoid getting soaked to the bone.

"You didn't forget what the guards told us, right Naruto?" Kakashi lazily said. His porn was safely in its pouch, away from the unyielding water.

The resident redhead nodded. "Let's go. Yahiko-sama probably already knows we're in the village."

Karin led them through the streets, pointing out various shops and bars that were warm and cozy. All of them were pretty warm of course, but some had a more homely feel than others. Like every other ninja village, Amegakure had its share of seedy bars.

The people seemed friendly to them. They gave respectful nods upon seeing their forehead protectors.

Naruto wondered if it had to do with them being ninja or if it had to do with some of them being ninja of Konoha. Many battles had been fought between the great villages within Amegakure's homeland and some people were sure to be wary.

Eventually, Team Seven was led to a large, steel tower. It was far larger than anything they had seen previously and all Naruto could do was gawk at it. "This thing is... huge," Sasuke said in an awestruck voice.

Naruto had to agree.

The inside looked and felt much more comfortable than the outside. Rather than cold steel, the lobby was painted and furnished with various objects meant to provide comfort. Comfy-looking plush chairs were scattered around the edges of the area, along with tables that had magazines on them.

The secretary was a woman with a plain pale face and plain brown hair, although her sharp green eyes drifted from each member of Team Seven before finally resting on Karin. Her smile was completely at odds with her rather average looks and made her much more attractive.

"Karin-chan?" the secretary called, smile still on her face. "I trust your journey was... uneventful?"

"Somewhat," Karin said after a moment. The secretary frowned, but leaned down and whispered something to the underside of her desk.

"Yahiko-sama is waiting, so move along please." Karin nodded to the plain woman and led Team Seven out of the lobby.

They began to step up a multitude of cold stairs that were much harsher on the eyes than the lobby had been. Ordinary civilians would've been hard-pressed to climb so many stairs without feeling somewhat exhausted, but ninja were a different story.

A wooden door that felt extremely out of place eventually appeared in front of them. Karin knocked twice before a gruff voice bid them to enter.

If anything, the leader's office was very spartan. The only thing that resembled comfort was the leader's chair. Everything else lacked what the lobby had. Even the lighting was rather dim compared to the rest of building.

Karin walked up to the front of the desk and bowed. "Yahiko-sama," she muttered, showing deference to her leader.

The leader had long, spiky orange hair, tanned skin, and when he fixed his gaze upon them, piercing blue eyes. Most of Team Seven found that the man bore a minor resemblance to Naruto.

If asked, Naruto would staunchly deny it.

Team Seven remained upright, but their posture was rigid and their hands open, the palm facing forward. "Karin," the leader said in greeting. "I heard that you picked up some trouble on your way here?"

"Yes, Yahiko-sama. Apparently the station that moderated the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain was attacked before falling under the control of foreign ninja."

Yahiko clasped his hands and laid them on the bare surface of his desk. He wanted to frown, but kept his face impassive. "Did you manage to get anything out of them?"

"Uchiha Sasuke was able to get the information out of the attacker," Karin replied, gesturing towards the dark-haired chunin. Sasuke straightened his spine as Yahiko focused on him.

"I used an illusion to scare the foreign ninja into spilling what he knew. They have a surefire way to attack and keep border control stations, if one between two nations exists," Sasuke explained. "We're not sure if he was lying or if he was truthful."

The leader gazed passively at Sasuke while drumming his fingers on his desk. "What allegiance did these ninja have?"

"I'm going to say the contingent was from Otogakure based on their forehead protectors and their... differences," Kakashi said, deciding to speak up.

"Differences?" Yahiko raised an eyebrow. He didn't miss Karin's minuscule frown.

"Additional organs," Karin explained. "Kakashi-san checked."

There was a sigh and Yahiko ran a hand through his hair. He looked up at his ceiling, a grimace of disgust on his face. After a few seconds he returned his gaze to his guests. "It seems as if Jiraiya was correct," he finally said.

"You know Jiraiya-sensei?" Naruto blurted. He blinked as he remembered where he was and clamped his mouth shot apologetically.

This time, Yahiko's lips curved upward. "He taught my friends and I years ago. It's partially because of him that Amegakure flourishes."

Naruto stared wide-eyed at Yahiko before grinning slightly. So Jiraiya had taught Nagato and the leader of Amegakure? The pervert sure knew how to get around.

"But, I digress. Jiraiya believes that the perpetrator behind these new, aggressive ninja is his old teammate, Orochimaru."

Kakashi had already had an idea, having been cognizant of Orochimaru's defection when he was younger. Experimentation gave him a nagging suspicion, but Yahiko confirmed his thoughts.

"One of the Sannin?" Sakura asked, furrowing her brow.

Yahiko nodded. "Indeed. Based on the information we've received, there is good reason to believe that Orochimaru is the cause of these incursions. Additionally, with Sunagakure going dark and the complete destruction of a Iwagakure's buffer, there is more than enough destabilization for Orochimaru to spread the seeds of war."

There was a pregnant pause. It was broken by Kakashi's tired sigh. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but being in denial won't help us," the masked jounin muttered.

Karin too the opportunity to take out a scroll from within her cloak and hand it to her leader. Yahiko unrolled it and began to read the message. He had a grave look in his eyes as he gave Team Seven a stern gaze. "As of now, Konohagakure no Sato and Amegakure no Sato are allies. This information is not to leave this room. I will spread this knowledge myself.

"The other nations will still be following rumors. Nagato is heading to Kirigakure to attempt to obtain their support as well. I'm not sure if the Mizukage will accept, however.

"This alliance is meant to keep our two villages ready. Being proactive is better than being unprepared in the event of an attack. The Hokage and I don't really expect a peaceful alternative in the foreseeable future."

"You may rest in this village for a few days, but please return to Konoha as soon as possible. Kakashi-san, if you would." Yahiko finished his small speech by taking out a scroll, scribbling something down on it, and handing it to Kakashi. The jounin nodded and safely stowed the message into a secure pouch.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were all frowning. They did not want to be drawn into a bloody conflict. They might have been ninja, but war wasn't something they had previously been subjected to. It was an unknown.

Yahiko bid them good-bye and Karin led Team Seven out. As they were walking down the steel staircase, Karin began to speak. "What did you think of Yahiko-sama?" she queried. She wasn't interested in talking about the prospect of a future war.

"He seemed pretty straightforward," Sakura commented.

"He's sure as hell not as old as the old man back in Konoha," Naruto added with a grin on his face. His comment earned him a snort from Sasuke and an exasperated sigh from Sakura.

"Shibuki wasn't that old, remember?" Sasuke said.

"Amegakure is larger than Taki though," Naruto argued. "Besides, Taki had wooden buildings. The buildings here are more like steel towers."

"Skyscrapers," Karin corrected. "The structures you see in Ame are called skyscrapers because they look tall enough to touch the sky."

"Clever," Kakashi noted. His fingers were twitching towards the pouch that had his precious orange book.

The group entered and then exited the lobby, being careful not to disturb the plain-looking secretary who had immersed herself in the horrors of paperwork. Once outside, Karin led them away from the Leader's Tower and down a nearby street.

The group eventually found themselves near a steel building that had light filtering from its windows. It was much smaller in height than the skyscrapers that dotted the village, but its width compensated for that.

The redheaded kunoichi led them inside the building and Team Seven relished the sudden heat that buffered them. The receptionist, an older woman with gray hair and dark eyes, gave them all a warm smile. "Is that you, Karin-chan? I haven't seen you in quite a while! Who are your friends?"

"These were my escorts back to the village, Chiyoko-baasan," Karin explained. "I'm looking to book some rooms for them. You still have some available, right?"

"Of course, dearie. Will the kunoichi want her own room?" she asked, aiming her question more towards Sakura than towards Karin.

The pink-haired chunin realized she was being spoken to and nodded. "Yes, please," she respectfully replied.

"Of course. What about you three boys?" Kakashi frowned at being called a "boy", but nodded regardless. The woman was old enough to see him as such, anyway.

"If you have enough, we'd all like separate rooms," the masked jounin said.

Chiyoko smiled again. "Yes, we do. We'll always have rooms for friend's of Karin-chan's." Karin rolled her eyes at the grandmotherly woman and let loose a small chuckle.

"How much will this cost?" Naruto asked. If the woman was being this nice to them then he figured she could use a tip. He thought the inn had to cost quite a bit to maintain since Yahiko had been keeping Amegakure isolated. Business had to be bad because of that.

"Oh, it won't cost anything. I make enough on my own, thank you very much. You four helped Karin-chan safely return to us. I think that's payment enough," the kindly woman insisted.

The chivalrous part of Naruto attempted to argue, but Sasuke shut the blonde up by elbowing him in the ribs. Team Seven was led to their rooms and each ninja was given a key. After making sure everything was in order, Karin left. She had said that it was getting quite late and that she wanted to sleep in her own bed for once.

Naruto wasn't tired, though. He ended up playing some sort of game Kakashi called "Suna War." It was a relatively simple game based on reflexes. Both Kakashi and Sasuke were not allowed to use their Sharingan due to how "cheap" it would be, in Naruto's own terminology.

"Kakashi-sensei, what was the Third Great Shinobi War like?" Naruto quietly asked. He was half-paying attention to Kakashi's reaction and half-paying attention to the stack of cards in the middle of the rough triangle the three sitting males had formed.

There was no discernible reaction from Kakashi. The man quickly snatched up a set of cards with an eye-smile at his disgruntled students. It was pretty fun making fools out of the two males. "The Third Great Shinobi War was a mess," Kakashi said as he watched Sasuke put a card down on the stack.

"My brother said all wars are like that," Sasuke muttered. He placed a card on top of the stack.

There was a loud slap and Naruto shoved the pile into his hand. "Care to be more specific?" the Uzumaki pressed.

Kakashi put his hand of cards onto the floor and sighed. Painful memories bubbled up to the surface, but he could at least take solace in the fact that his students were better off than he was at their age. "War is... bloody. Do you remember what it was like back in Takigakure?"

"Lots of fighting, some destroyed buildings, hostages..." Naruto listed, putting his cards down as well.

Kakashi nodded, his visible eye glazing over as he remembered the times during the Third Great Shinobi War. "A shinobi war is both like the battles the ancient samurai used to wage and unlike them at the same time. Occasionally, armies will confront each other, but most of the time strike forces attempt to destroy or capture strategic points.

"Because each side is well-aware of how important it is to hold certain points, these specific areas become bloodbaths. Obviously, strike teams can either succeed or fail. Most of the time, they fail due to disadvantageous terrain.

"If the strike team is not completely wiped out, then the survivors are taken in as prisoners of war. They end up being tortured for information and killed afterward. In the end, there is very little chance that these prisoners will escape with their lives. In some cases, the genetic material of the prisoner is examined so that future battles against the enemy will be easier.

"I'm not going to lie, you two. War is hell. It pushes you to the point where you cannot even think clearly anymore. It forces you to watch those closest to you suffer and die. In the end, the village is the only thing that can remain."

Naruto was silent for a moment. "Aren't we seen as heroes? You told us never to leave our comrades behind. Wouldn't that make us heroes?"

"Maybe in Konoha," Sasuke interjected. "But Itachi told me that other villages will see us as criminals of the worst kind. If we kill their friends and family, and their own comrades, how great do we look in their eyes?"

Kakashi chuckled to himself, but it sounded bitter and forced. "There is no such thing as a hero in war," he declared, much to Naruto's surprise. "Konoha gives those who die for her a service in their honor since they died to uphold the village's beliefs."

"Ninja aren't supposed to have easy lives," Naruto suddenly said. "After all, we're not samurai..." The blonde shook his head and yawned.

The masked jounin nodded in approval. "That's true, Naruto. I do wish you wouldn't speak about such things, though. It's rather depressing, don't you think?" the jounin finished with an eye-smile.

Naruto shrugged, but headed to the door so that he could head to his own room. He muttered a good night to his sensei and his friend before exiting.

While lying in bed, Naruto wondered when everything would actually become destabilized. It was sure to be soon, given Yahiko's stern tone and the presence of foreign shinobi within the land.

Ordinarily, that wasn't a surprise. Espionage attempts and international missions weren't uncommon. When the numbers of foreign ninja began to rise was when there was a possible problem.

War meant fighting, which meant additional possibilities to become promoted and to make a name for oneself. Naruto felt it was childish to be thinking of such things, however. War brought much suffering to all who participated in it and even to those who didn't fight.

Naruto didn't want to see his friends die. He wanted to protect those who were close to him, those who had helped bring him out of the lonely hell he had lived with all throughout his life.

What about his possible enemies? Missing-nin usually didn't have any close relatives, which was why they chose to cut ties with their village. Killing or capturing them wasn't that big of a deal, comparatively speaking.

It pained Naruto to know that in the future he would likely be robbing families of their loved ones. But, he knew that they would do the same to him and those he cherished.

So then why did he feel so uneasy about it? Why couldn't he kick the slight amount of guilt in the pit of his stomach?

His thoughts didn't have an answer for him.

**VvVvV**

(The Land of Rivers)

Sasori of the Red Sand was annoyed. That was a pretty damn impressive thing to be considering that he had all but abolished his emotions long ago during his quest to preserve his special brand of art.

He had been laying low, checking up on the affairs of things and planting false trails for those who were seeking to do away with his spies. It was fairly easy when you knew what you were doing with seals.

Some ninja though were more than competent enough to remove Sasori's memory seals, though. That was why he had to renew his network every now and then. It always ended up being more of a hassle than anything difficult.

The rewards for doing so were more than adequate. He had a bead on every single ninja village and the lords under which they served. Sasori's network was much more efficient than the ones the great villages maintained.

The puppet master had been checking to see just what the villages were up to and he'd started with his old home first. Sunagakure was much more fortified than he remembered. In fact, he couldn't ever remember the village ever being more fortified than when he had recently visited it.

The amount of foreign shinobi running around the village piqued his interest, but when he learned what the Yondaime Kazekage had agreed to and had actually gone so far as to do...

Well, Sasori didn't really lose it. The scorpion was above such things. He just became very, very annoyed.

Sasori had indirectly kick-started the Third Great Shinobi War. That particular series of events was something he knew was going to occur as soon as he had kidnapped and killed the Sandaime Kazekage.

That war had been damaging, but Konoha had come out on top. Sasori didn't mind that, as it wasn't a big deal to him. The chaos and unease during and following the Third Great Shinobi War allowed him to plant spies everywhere, as well as tweak them when it became necessary.

With so much information and influence in all of the right places, Sasori had all the funding he needed to continue to research and perfect his puppets. He was so close to perfection, too.

Naturally, that was precisely when Suna began attempting to change the course of history. Not after, but before. A certain missing-nin's meddling with an amassed army was the cause of that.

Otogakure hadn't warranted enough attention. Oh, Sasori knew Orochimaru was behind its creation; that much was obvious considering the snake's penchant for experimentation.

He hadn't thought the once-proud Sannin of Konoha would do such a thing even if he was a missing-nin. Now, he needed to get more information for once. The man in Suna was not suspected and had relayed where the Suna-nin and Oto-nin were going to strike.

So, Sasori stood waiting where the ninja were going to cross to enter the Land of Fire. There was a nearby pristine river that didn't mean much to the shinobi, but would help in controlling the civilians of the region.

The source of that river was still near the border, but also in the Land of Fire, which was exactly where the combined Suna- and Oto-nin force was heading.

Their quick footsteps reached Sasori's wooden ears and he sprang his trap. Needles coated with a powerful sleeping agent shot out from the bushes, piercing all of his targets successfully. His poison was quick to act and the ninja all dropped like rocks.

The redheaded puppeteer first examined the ninja with Otogakure forehead protectors. They were all uninteresting and bland, except for one that for some reason had more than one liver. He didn't really care about that though, as interesting as it looked.

A very slight frown appeared on his visage. The Oto-nin were likely simple, expendable pawns. None of them looked like they had enough freedom to relay anything useful.

Despite that fact, Sasori planted a modified version of his seals on two Oto-nin, being careful not to leave any remnants of his work. The seal would fade shortly after they woke up and would remain inconspicuous. The modified ninja would be left alone.

Satisfied with the seals, Sasori then went to examine the remaining ninja. Two of the Suna-nin weren't anything special, but a Scorch Release user was among them. Perhaps Suna wanted to leave a message saying that they weren't as weak as the other villages thought?

It was inconsequential. He would've liked to add the Scorch Release user to his collection, but that would just raise concerns.

A simple memory seal was implanted onto each ninja, one that would make them forget the trap. His other seals were different than his memory seals. The latter would completely fade soon after the group woke up.

The scorpion jumped away from the scene, heading towards his next destination, the Land of Earth. Additionally, light attacks were to finally be made in the Land of Earth.

In Sasori's opinion, it took Sunagakure long enough. It was fairly common knowledge that Suna had more of a grudge on Iwa than on Konoha.

It took a few weeks to reach the solid rock of the Land of Earth, but by then Sasori assumed Konoha was finally beginning to mobilize. The daimyo had likely given his blessing since ninja wars only increased their wealth.

The Kazekage had to have something up his sleeve, because fighting a war on two fronts was difficult. Fending off enemies in the desert would be no problem since they had the Ichibi in their possession, but resources would still be stretched.

Of course, Orochimaru's forces would likely help make up for the pressure of fighting in two different locations. Last Sasori had checked, Kumo was also secretly building up their military. That in itself wasn't a surprise given how militarized Kumo had traditionally been.

What was interesting was the fact that Kumo's militarization was accelerating, a fact that the nations would be well-aware of shortly after the war began. Espionage would begin to pick up, after all. Or, at least, attempt to.

At last, the small force of shinobi graced Sasori's eyes. They were moving slowly, but steadily through Iwa's rocky terrain. Sasori could easily pick out the captain of the group and the obvious formation they were traveling in.

A ways away behind Sasori was one of the locations where one could cross into the Land of Stone. A quick report from one of the Oto-nin revealed that a base – bunkers, armories and all – had been built underneath the ruins of Ishi. The groundwork for another one was being laid down in the city where the daimyo of the nation had once lived.

In any case, it was easier than running back to the Land of Wind to obtain more supplies for their efforts.

There was some shuffling and Sasori watched from his hiding place as the ninja hid themselves from a patrol that had come to investigate the multitude of flickering chakra signatures. The ambush was sprang and all but one of the Iwa-nin were killed. The final one was dragged, shabby language and all, away from the field.

The platoon of enemy shinobi continued onward, ambushing and capturing the remaining survivors of two more patrols. The final patrol fared slightly better, actually managing to inflict casualties on their enemies. That time, Sunagakure's forces left two survivors alive.

They retreated then, rather than actually remove the remaining survivors.

Sasori stayed behind, scanning the area intently. The area looked untouched and he hadn't really needed to attack anyone himself. The thought of ambushing the ambushers amused him for a moment, but he banished the thought from his mind.

Was the Kazekage so sure of Suna's power that he had instructed the soldiers to leave survivors? Or was it, like near the Land of Fire, another attempt at proving they weren't weak and powerless?

Either way, the puppet master needed to keep tabs on the upcoming events. It was extremely likely that his network would begin to crumble as the status quo crumbled once again.

* * *

><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: Sorry for a shorter chapter than before. Anyway, enter Sasori! Compared to other fics, I've decided to make him rather simple. He's a neutral entity at the moment, though.**

**If there are any contradictions or glaring errors, please let me know! I'm sure there are errrors lying around somewhere...**


	22. Underground

**A/N: Note to self: Akatsuki is way easier to write than a different, self-written war.  
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**Warning: Minor/major character death.**

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><p>Chapter Twenty-two: Underground<p>

A blonde teenager paced through the lobby, waiting for his name to be called. Although large-scale conflicts hadn't begun occurring, the Hokage had placed every ninja on high alert and had ramped up the academy training regimen.

The old man and his advisers had deliberated over what to do. It took some time, but the Hokage had eventually decided to declare war on the treacherous Sunagakure. It wasn't a public decision, yet every loyal Konoha ninja knew of it.

High-level jounin and ANBU had been recalled and were placed into more organized units. The village's ninja as a whole had begun to train themselves rigorously in preparation for the more intense upcoming battles.

Everyone now knew better than to deny such things.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you may enter," the secretarial woman announced. She kept shuffling through paperwork and ignored the jinchuriki as he pushed open the wooden door and entered the Hokage's office.

The office had the Hokage's two advisers sitting next to the old man and two chunin, as well as a probable jounin, sitting in front of the desk. Naruto didn't recognize any of them upon first glance. He figured he was being deployed to check up on something the old man was interested in.

Several teams had already been sent to check up on the state of things, as well as to remove any sighted foreign ninja. Sasuke had already been sent out twice while Naruto hadn't really done much of anything.

The Hokage cleared his throat, pinning Naruto with a passive gaze. "Naruto, how are you today?" he asked, deciding to get the pleasantries over with first.

The two chunin and single jounin turned to glance at him. Each of them gave him a once-over before quickly returning their attention to their village leader. Naruto didn't really get a better look at any of them the second time around.

"I'm fine, old man," the Uzumaki replied. The other ninja in the room scowled at Naruto's disrespectful greeting, but Hiruzen's lips twitched slightly. The Hokage knew Naruto's response was instinctive.

"Very well. Naruto, you do remember what happened a little over a month ago, correct?" A nod. "You and your fellow ninja here will be sent to the Land of Rivers to meet with two other teams of chunin and secure the gold mine near the village of Katabami Kinzan."

"What does that have to do with the incident?" Naruto asked.

"The river the Suna-nin were following and possibly attempting to dam is used by the villagers to help extract the nuggets retrieved from the underground mine. We don't care much about the nation itself, but the monetary value of those gold nuggets is worth very much and we can't allow our enemies to obtain possession of them."

The blonde jinchuriki nodded. "Understood, Hokage-sama." A surprised look crossed Hiruzen's face. Naruto very rarely called him by his actual title. "I know there's a time to act at least somewhat serious," Naruto added, rolling his eyes.

Utatane Koharu cleared her throat, drawing attention to herself. "Naruto, I'd like to introduce to you the members of your team for this particular mission." At this, said members recognized their cue and turned around, fully revealing themselves to Naruto.

The first chunin, a teenager with onyx eyes and raven-colored hair, smirked at him. "I'm Uchiha Yume." Naruto nodded to her, realizing just why she looked so like Sasuke. The difference was that she wore black shinobi clothes without an Uchiha fan engraved on them in addition to the classic chunin vest.

The second chunin, a teenage male with platinum blonde hair, fair skin, and pale blue eyes, grinned at Naruto. "I'm Yamanaka Chinou. Pleased to meet you, Naruto-san." Given his actions, Naruto was sure that he hadn't pranked this chunin before. He was wearing a chunin flak-jacket as well, but had dark green pants and a dark shirt.

The jounin, a kunoichi with violet hair, light brown, pupil-less eyes, and a tan overcoat, wore a sinister grin on her face. It made Naruto slightly uneasy. "Mitarashi Anko, at your service," the jounin boisterously said. The two nearby chunin edged away from her, but she paid them no mind.

Naruto eyed the captain of the mission before shrugging. "So we're just heading over to the Land of Rivers to make sure nothing's happened to the gold mine in Katabami Kinzan?"

"Oh, we're sure something has already happened," Mitokado Homura stated. "Why do you think there are two other shinobi teams on their way there right now?"

"Suna has always been the least economically prosperous of the great villages," the Hokage added. "Although Suna's first attack was directly within the Land of Fire, I'm sure they haven't overlooked the possibility of increasing the size of their coffers. A war is run by more than just ninja."

"Are we heading out immediately?" Naruto interjected, an expression of seriousness plastered on his face. He received three nods from the elder ninja in the room.

Anko chortled. "Of course we are, blondie! We can't leave our comrades hanging, now can we?" she answered in place of the Hokage.

"What Anko said is correct, Naruto," the Hokage said. "If you cannot successfully secure the gold mine, destroy it. It is better for our enemies to not have then it is for us to obtain. You may leave."

The group left, with Naruto casting one last glance at his foster grandfather before leaving the office. A few minutes of comfortable silence passed before the door creaked open and a wizened old Danzo hobbled in.

"Are you sure that was wise?" the decrepit old man asked, his lone eye peering at his old rival and his former teammates.

"Why would it be a problem, Danzo?" Homura pleasantly asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hiruzen nodded in agreement. "Naruto does need more experience," the Hokage added, staring at Danzo warily. Jounin-chunin teams did function slightly differently than jounin-genin teams.

There was a small scoff and suddenly Danzo was seated in front of Hiruzen and his teammates. "Do you really believe you should send him out with such little experience in using the Kyuubi's power?" Danzo queried. Naruto would have to rely on its power eventually, given how much chaos it could cause.

"It is... adequate, for the time being," Homura murmured, adjusting his glasses slightly.

"Jiraiya isn't the best suited person to train him in that respect," Danzo stoically replied.

The Hokage scowled at his longtime rival. Danzo might have been content to let the matter slide when Naruto was just a bawling infant and a loudmouth child, but as a ninja the man was not satisfied. Despite, in Hiruzen's opinion, Naruto's great improvements, Danzo still found him to be lackluster.

"Jiraiya does have the key to the seal," Koharu pointed out.

Danzo tilted his head. "That isn't completely true though, is it?" he said plainly.

There was a brief, but tense silence. Danzo either had eyes and ears in places that he wasn't supposed to, or Jiraiya had blabbed... then again, ROOT did still exist, and the Hokage had witnessed Minato's death.

Maybe the information wasn't on such a close leash. "You believe you are the best person to train him in unleashing the Kyuubi's chakra?" Hiruzen asked mildly.

"You are aware of my... methods, aren't you, Hiruzen? I simply wish for Naruto to become the true defender of the village, rather than a useless jailor," Danzo stated.

The old war-hawk wanted to turn Naruto into an actual weapon. Mito and Kushina hadn't been so, but they had served a more important purpose: restraining the Kyuubi. In that age, it was complete, whole, and more dangerous than anything else on the continent.

The Sandaime had seen with his own eyes what his predecessor had done. Minato had sealed the Kyuubi's Yin Chakra within his own body and then sealed the Yang Chakra within Naruto's much smaller body. The Kyuubi, as a result, had become smaller, albeit not really any less dangerous than previously before.

The implication was that being a jailor to a "weakened" Kyuubi wasn't helping Konoha as much as it could have done so in the past, when the Kyuubi was whole. As advantageous as harnessing that power was, it wasn't necessary at the moment.

Konoha was the strongest shinobi village and its reputation helped prevent overzealous nations from attacking and attempting to overrun the Land of Fire. Not that they could, of course, but simple fear and apprehension went a long way.

"After all, Suna has its own weapon, and I'm sure Iwa and Kumo do as well. Iwa is likely to release them simply because of old grudges and Kumo is always lurking nearby." Kiri went unmentioned because it was obvious that all Kage were weapons of the sharpest kind, jinchuriki or not.

"We don't need someone capable of channeling mass destruction," Hiruzen asserted, putting more force into his words and staring Danzo down. "It is far too early to make assumptions and vain attempts."

Ninja were running about, securing strongholds and tactically important positions in order to ease the strain on Konoha and increase the strain on Suna. The same was being done for Iwa as well, but that was just a precaution. Minor villages were paid close attention to since enemies usually had to pass through those lands to force their access into the Land of Fire.

That was another reason why additional teams had been sent to the Land of Rivers: enemy movement could be documented and Konoha could be alerted. That land didn't have an actual, functioning ninja village, meaning it was only a buffer in terms of geography.

Neither did the Land of Stone, for that matter, but that was Iwagakure's problem.

The Land of Grass was a problem though, one that would have to be addressed fairly soon.

"You won't change your thoughts on this position?"

Hiruzen slowly shook his head. "I will not."

Danzo nodded and got up from his seat. "You will, eventually, have to acknowledge the fact that the Uzumaki can become a useful tool of the village, one of the most potentially powerful for us. I have a feeling that the war will progress in that direction." And then, Danzo was gone.

Homura and Koharu both frowned at that. Was Danzo dropping hints, or was he making a prediction, albeit an ominous one? Suna wouldn't dare send its jinchuriki out of its safe zone.

"I will have to make that decision, eventually," the Hokage whispered. His words seemed to be aimed towards Danzo, despite the man not actually remaining in the room.

If- no, _when_- that decision was made, the Hokage hoped Naruto would forgive him. The boy already expressed a strong distaste towards using the overpowering chakra of his jailed Tailed Beast, despite Jiraiya's insistence on utilizing it.

For all jinchuriki were weapons, regardless of who they were. Just like all ninja were tools of the village, of the daimyo.

**VvVvV**

(The Land of Rivers – Near Katabami Kinzan)

The Land of Rivers obviously lived up to its name. Rushing currents of water dominated the landscape, carving out deep valleys with frequent waterfalls. It would've been a pretty place if the large crags of rock hadn't been present.

Finding gold in such an environment was extremely fortunate, given the amount of water that could help process the precious ore. The gold mine itself was built next to a river that turned into a waterfall. It was surrounded by steep hills on both sides as well, no doubt due to erosion from the water.

Team Anko- as the captain had insisted on that name- had met up with the two teams of chunin. There was another Uchiha leading a team of ninja that Naruto did not recognize at first, along with a jounin wearing generic ninja clothing whose name escaped him.

The unmemorable jounin, who was named Daisuke, had a team of his own, one that had a familiar Aburame, Inuzuka, and a familiar, somewhat larger ninja dog on it. Greetings were quick, for there were more important things to do, despite the jovial nature one of the jounin had.

The twelve ninja were situated in a diner that was a safe distance away from the mine. There was really no reason to hide their identities since the diner owner seemed to turn a blind eye to them, but they kept an eye and an ear out anyway and pooled together whatever information they had found.

Team Anko hadn't found anything since they had arrived last and headed to the diner straight afterward. The team led by the Uchiha had found out that the mine was previously taken over by a group of rather tame missing-nin, but had apparently been approached by shady individuals beforehand.

Kiba had smelled blood, lots of it. Shino's bugs had scouted out part of the area and he had informed them all that there were probably many more enemies than was first estimated. For one thing, there were many more ninja patrolling the perimeter of the mine.

"Any Suna shinobi?" Anko asked, slipping into a slightly more serious mood.

"The ones who are patrolling the outside are part of the missing-nin party," the Uchiha- Shisui, that was his name- said. "According to Inuzuka-san, most of the workers have either been killed or severely tortured. The missing-nin aren't to blame; that much we know for sure."

The missing-nin would've allowed the workers to live so that the ore could still be processed. If they were already murdered, then Suna either didn't need the gold or they had offered the missing-nin something better than gold.

"It is likely that some other ninja group is massacring the workers, which might be the enemy we are looking for," Shino said in a monotone voice.

"So Suna ninja are running around in the mines," Naruto guessed.

"Possibly. It is likely that they're under the ground, though. Sometimes, ore veins are located deep underground, which is where they are formed by pressure and heat," the unmemorable jounin explained.

"A Hyuuga might have been useful here," Yume muttered.

"You two with the pink-eye will have to do," Anko stated. "How do you want to deal with the missing-nin? There's a bit much running around..."

"I can serve as a distraction," Naruto immediately offered. He was good at things like that, especially with his destructive techniques and obnoxious clones.

Kiba scowled at Naruto. "You're not going to get yourself killed, are you? I'm not sure I want to be a big damn hero."

"Actually," Shisui interrupted, "Me, Inuzuka-san, Aburame-san, Anko, and Chinou will infiltrate the mines."

Naruto blinked. That still left seven Konoha ninja running about outside. But, he realized where Shisui was going with his infiltration idea.

Kiba could pinpoint the location of enemies with his nose, as well as lead the ninja out of the mines should they get lost. Shino could drain the chakra of enemies with his insects, which would make them easy pickings for capture and interrogation.

Shisui had the Sharingan and could use illusions to freak any prisoner out and Chinou, being a Yamanaka, could probably use the mind jutsu that his clan was renowned for. Anko was just extra muscle. The team was oriented around obtaining vital knowledge, so was he and the rest of the ninja meant to be distractions?

"What about us?" one of the chunin asked. He had a bandage over his face and had spiky hair.

Anko grinned. "If we can't exterminate the enemy presence here, then we all have permission to blow the place up."

"Any restrictions?" Yume inquired.

"I know some Doton jutsu so we can play its destruction up as a simple cave-in," Daisuke suggested. If it came to such a thing, Chinou could make it seem like they were never in the diner. "Once we catch the attention of the patrol, the infiltration team will run in."

"So how are we doing this? Explosions? Big, flashy jutsu?" Naruto asked. There was a chuckle that went around the group. "I'm serious, I can probably get the attention of every ninja within a ten mile radius or something."

"I don't doubt that," his captain remarked, throwing him an amused smirk. "No, I'm just going to do something that makes everyone nervous."

A series of hand-seals later and a small rattlesnake appeared. Well, 'small' was just a relative term- the snake was actually pretty large, all things considered. "My little venomous pet here will give them all a good scare. You'll all pick them off while we head in. We all clear?"

Everyone paused for a moment before nodding.

Essentially, the snake would catch the attention of anyone that was guarding the main entrance to the underground portion of the mines. Once the guards went to investigate, the infiltration team would slip in while suppressing their presence.

When the snake's job was done, it would notify the ninja remaining before dispelling. Then, the missing-nin who were running through the area would be quickly and stealthily intercepted and silenced. More enemies would come to investigate, thus giving the infiltrators more time.

The infiltrators would search the dim mines for the likely presence of foreigners. All foreign ninja, such as Suna-nin, were to be eliminated. Any high-ranking officers would be taken prisoner and interrogated, just in case they knew anything useful.

If it was deemed that the mine could not be kept isolated, the infiltrators would arm explosive tags throughout the caverns. Once out, they would detonate the tags. Any ninja on the team that knew Doton jutsu would cause more damage so the destruction of the mine couldn't be traced back to Konoha.

It wasn't flawless at all. A mine swarming with enemies was extremely dangerous, especially considering how the numbers were against them in the first place. If the snake failed to create a long enough distraction, then the whole operation may as well be abandoned.

Worst-case scenario, the mine would be completely destroyed so that no one else could exploit it. Konoha didn't _need_ the extra money the gold could rake in, but enemy villages sure might.

The sun was still high in the air, which would help make the plan work properly. Snakes were cold-blooded creatures after all and normally one would consider them to be more active during the day, when there was warmth-bringing sunlight.

Regardless of the slightly higher chance of success, the Konoha ninja were tense. If anything went wrong, they would have a small horde of missing-nin on them, as well as whatever was lurking in the depths of the mine.

They had a rough idea of the strength of each individual missing-nin. The same couldn't be said of the unknown.

With Shisui and his team properly situated, Naruto and the other Konoha ninja began to wait. The snake itself rattled its tail to get the attention of the guards, who hadn't noticed the 'average' reptile near them.

Luckily, the guards shrugged it off. They either thought the snake wasn't a big deal or they thought it was too slow to do any harm. Summoned animals were quicker and stronger than their wild counterparts though and the bite the summon delivered was more than enough to highlight that fact.

One of the guards threw his partner over his shoulder and jumped away, frantically looking for an antidote. It was rather ironic considering how ruthless missing-nin were meant to be; they usually banded together for monetary gain, but this particular group seemed to be different.

Naruto waited a few more minutes before the sound of rustling caught his ears. The remaining Konoha ninja watched as the summoned snake appeared in the underbrush and nodded to them before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"All right," Daisuke whispered. "I'm going to hide alone since I'm a rank above you all. Split into pairs and hide yourselves. Any enemies are to be taken out quietly." The jounin emphasized the need for silence.

The rest of the chunin nodded before hastily dividing themselves up into three pairs and leaping away. Naruto paired up with Yume and the two found themselves quite a bit away from their starting point, waiting for any unsuspecting missing-nin to run by. The blonde jinchuriki would've hidden his clones nearby, but the blatant usage of mass amounts of chakra was detrimental to their job.

Although he had learned to have some patience, waiting was still excruciatingly boring for Naruto. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long. The sound of footsteps began to be audible and the two hidden Konoha ninja prepared themselves.

Three missing-nin were leisurely jogging nearby, looking like they were not paying attention to their surroundings. Three enemies was a bit difficult for two people to handle, but with some eye contact, Naruto and Yume acted.

The Uchiha's ability to place illusions over people with just a glance was extremely useful, especially in sending information if harm wasn't intended.

From his chakra points, chains of pure chakra erupted, catching the missing-nin at the back unawares and covering his mouth tightly before he could utter a word. Naruto slit the man's throat with a kunai and stashed the body into a scroll.

Why not? He _was_ a missing-nin.

Yume took the ninja in the middle. Her target's vision became blurry and his movements awkward as her genjutsu took hold. Yume's illusions weren't anything special, but they made enemies feel like they were in a dream, unable to wake up and unable to properly control their limbs.

The final one was more ignorant than the partners thought. Eventually though, the man began to speak. "Hey, did you two finally come to an agreement about something? No arguing about what we're going to eat tonight?" The man frowned and turned around when there was no response.

He was greeted by a kunai to the skull. The body was quickly sealed into a different scroll in order to prevent blood from soaking the soil below their feet.

"That wasn't so hard. Those chains of yours are useful," Yume whispered, smirking towards her junior chunin.

Naruto shrugged. His chakra chains were useful, even if their use was more often than not tailored towards offensive action. His mother was said to have been a very defensive kunoichi, oddly enough. That didn't really mesh well with what he had been told of her personality.

The two went to hide when bad luck reared its ugly head. There was the distinct sound of an explosion in the distance, causing Naruto and Yume to both tense their bodies. "What was that?" the blonde chunin asked warily.

"Based on the sound, I'd say someone detonated an explosive tag," Yume muttered. Her onyx eyes bled into her two-tomoe Sharingan. Naruto made to jump in the general direction, but Yume grabbed his arm. "You can't just leave your objective!" she chastised.

Naruto glared at the offending hand on his arm. "One of our comrades might be in trouble. We should at least see what happened," he lowly commented.

The Uchiha kunoichi groaned. Well, they had dispatched a grand total of... three missing-nin. Oh, how impressive. "Fine," she said with gritted teeth.

The two jumped into the trees, following the nasty scent of smoke. They quickly came upon the sight of a small, smoldering crater.

One of their Konoha ninja was hurt and leaning heavily on the side of a tree trunk. The other was faring better, but was covered with soot. In front of them were two missing-nin, one of which had oddly glowing symbols pulsating on his skin.

"Seems like you two were closest," the wounded chunin muttered. The bandana he had worn over his head was wrapped around his bicep and there were some scratches on his face.

"Can you fight?" Naruto whispered, eying the two missing-nin in front of him. Both of the chunin nodded, but Naruto could tell the one that was hurt wouldn't be able to dish out too much damage. He was cradling his arm to his side.

"The one with the weird symbols is freakishly fast and he knew we were close by," the other chunin murmured. Yume furrowed her brow and Naruto scanned his opponent with his eyes.

The missing-nin with the symbols on his skin was wearing a simple gray t-shirt and tattered black pants, but did have a forehead protector with the slashed symbol of Kusagakure on it. The other missing-nin had the same forehead protector, but was wearing a flak-jacket over clothes that were in better condition.

"Should we just kill them or what?" Yume inquired, the tomoe in her red eyes beginning to spin.

"We might as well," Naruto commented. "We're going to have to make some time."

Any other missing-nin would likely be heading towards their location. Alarms would probably be raised as well. The infiltration team would have to hurry up and decide whether or not to blow the mine up.

Naruto really hoped Kiba and Shino would be all right.

The two enemies decided not to scrutinize their opponents any longer and sprang into action. The one without the strange symbols jumped in the direction of the wounded chunin, while the other aimed for the branch Naruto and Yume were on.

Both Uzumaki and Uchiha misjudged their enemy's speed. The glowing marks shined slightly and the missing-nin's movement dramatically picked up.

The large speed boost was enough to completely remove the remaining distance between them and as a result, the missing-nin slammed directly into Naruto, who was closer.

The Kyuubi jinchuriki was thrown off of the tree branch and fell down to the ground, his brain muddled slightly from the jarring impact. Nonetheless, he managed to regain his composure and right his trajectory so that he wouldn't slam into the dirt below.

He had been surprised that the ninja would just slam into him. It felt more like a tactic used by a berserker than anything else.

The attack had _hurt_ too. It felt like a wall of metal had collided straight into him. The missing-nin apparently had some strength behind his reckless charge.

Naruto glared up at his enemy. The man had a wide grin on his face and his eyes were wide open. "This power... it's glorious! It's glorious!" the man screamed, not sounding very sane at all. The cackle he released didn't help.

There was a loud exhale and a large fireball was expelled from Yume toward the insane missing-nin. His blistering speed came into play once more and the fireball was easily evaded.

Yume had been behind him and she grimaced at the evasion of her attack. She immediately backtracked and jumped in a wide arc around her enemy so that she could return to Naruto's side.

Despite having the Sharingan, she wasn't really meant to be in close-quarters-combat unless her opponents were ensnared in a genjutsu. Yume didn't have ridiculous physical prowess like some male ninja had, meaning her taijutsu wasn't very efficient.

Luckily, she had Naruto with her. The blonde hadn't been vacant the entire time and with his clawed gauntlets equipped, sent a crescent blade of wind at his enemy. The blade didn't make contact due to Naruto's proximity, but it was powerful enough to cut straight through the thick branch the missing-nin had been standing on.

That was when Yume landed next to Naruto, beads of sweat dripping from her smooth, pale face. "This guy's faster than us," she noted.

"If you can launch another fireball, we can incinerate him with a combination attack," Naruto replied. "We just have to make sure not to be interrupted." The chunin on his team were aware that he was proficient in Futon jutsu.

The sound of rushing wind greeted their ears and the missing-nin, eyes down, ran out of the underbrush, charging straight at them. Yume wouldn't be able to finish her hand-seals.

The two Konoha-nin dispersed, not wanting to be hit by his crazed attack. The attack made contact with a thick tree trunk and tore right through it.

Yume gave Naruto a peculiar look. "Maybe we should take his body with us," she whispered as she began to flip through hand-seals.

Naruto clapped his hands together. "Somehow, I don't think that's an option."

The missing-nin quickly turned around, ignoring the thick pieces of wood scattered around him. Naruto inhaled deeply and thrust his palms out just as Yume called out the name of her technique.

With wind being jettisoned out of Naruto's palms and maw, Yume's Grand Fireball exploded outward, away from its caster and augmenter.

**VvVvV**

(Within the Gold Mine)

The infiltration team paused as a slight tremor shook the caverns. It wasn't anything substantial, but they knew that their time was limited from then on out.

They would probably be found out soon enough, so they had to hurry. The missing-nin they had found earlier hadn't had anything useful within her mind except for the fact that there was an Oto-nin somewhere within the mines.

Unfortunately, they hadn't encountered that Oto-nin, or any others that might've been there. The ninja were either hiding or lurking in the depths of the dimly lit, artificial caves, and that posed a problem. It was why the Konoha-nin were being overly cautious as they traveled further.

Although they were already moving quietly, Anko had advised them to do so just in case. It wasn't as if she doubted their capabilities, bar the brash Inuzuka; she was just nervous and brought up the advice to take her mind off of a certain matter.

She knew it was a bad idea and that it was borderline treason, but she _hated_ the history behind it. She didn't want to bring it up, especially to the ninja who didn't have any knowledge on it. All it brought forth was bad memories.

So, despite the fact that her cursed seal was throbbing painfully, she continued onward. Anko didn't notify her team about the seal, nor did she voice her misgivings. She rationalized her decision by thinking that the seal was only acting up, like it was prone to do so from time to time.

Her wicked sensei, may his body rot in the Death God's damned stomach, couldn't possibly be nearby. There was no reason to; he wasn't one to enjoy monetary supplements.

A faint buzzing reached Anko's ears and she immediately stopped moving. The group had worked out a non-verbal signal to stop and go based off of the Aburame's insects. The buzzing could only be heard when the insects were uncomfortably close to a person's ears.

A few seconds later and the team began to move again. Shisui had activated his Sharingan when they had entered the cave and had begun noting structural weaknesses of the mines. Explosive tags were placed on these weaknesses, to be activated only if demolition was warranted.

Another tremor rumbled through the mines, causing the infiltration team to halt once more. Some dust fell from the ceiling, but nothing else happened. Just when they were about to travel forward, a larger rumble shook the area.

That time, pebbles and stones fell from the rocky ceiling, despite the supports planted to prevent such things from occurring. In addition, light, fleet footsteps could be heard, the noise becoming progressively louder as their owners approached.

A total of five ninja ran past the Konoha ninja, somehow not noticing them at all. It would've been perfect for an ambush. That was, until a sharp whistle pierced the air and the five ninja stopped and turned on their heels.

The curse seal near Anko's neck throbbed violently, nearly causing her to cry out in sheer agony. As it was, she noticeably winced.

Shisui's form appeared in front of her, blocking a series of deadly, spinning shuriken with a kunai and revealing his presence to the enemy ninja. Anko hadn't noticed the attack due to the amount of pain she was in.

"So I see we have a couple of rats hiding here," a soft voice declared. The five enemy ninja straightened slightly, but kept their eyes on the now-revealed forms of the five Konoha ninja and one ninja dog.

Were they not hiding well enough?

The infiltration team's cover was blown, but no one attacked just yet. The corridors of the mines were too narrow for all-out battles between ninja. If such a fight occurred, it would be a one-way ticket to being buried under tons of rock and dirt.

The one who had noticed the Konoha ninja walked forward, freeing his face from the shadows. He wore a gray uniform and black pants that were held up by an odd thick, purple rope. The front of the uniform had a yin-yang symbol, but the black portion- the yin- was missing.

The man- if he could be called as much for he looked only a few years older than the younger chunin in the group- had a balding head that was dotted with thin, orange hair. In addition, his body was rotund and bulbous.

"Am I to assume that you're the Oto-nin that was spotted entering the mines?" Shisui asked, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

The orange-haired ninja grinned wickedly. "If I said anything, my captain would be very angry at me." He whistled again and his five cronies suddenly attacked.

They attacked without regard for their surroundings or allies, nor did they appear to have any compunctions in using large-scale jutsu as they immediately began forming seals. The Konoha-nin were more mindful of their allies and thus, were sure not to use any of their own damaging techniques.

That was actually an advantage. Anko and Kiba usually used more powerful jutsu that could very well damage their teammates in extremely close quarters, but the rest of the team was a bit more subtle.

Shisui, like his close friend, was a master of genjutsu. Shino was sending out swarms of insects to drain the chakra of his foes. Chinou was using an advanced Yamanaka mind technique to mess with an enemy's head.

Ordinarily, the team would've been able to subdue and capture enemies. A problem soon presented itself though, as Anko couldn't defend herself while in her state of excruciating and crippling pain, making her an easy target for the two remaining missing-nin.

Kiba and Akamaru jumped in front of her, both of which used coordination and strong, damaging blows to fend off their foes. Through her haze of pain, Anko found it very amusing that a dog was able to send a full-grown ninja flying into a rock-solid wall.

Insects descended on the groaning enemies quickly afterward, draining them of their chakra but leaving them alive. Four ninja were incapacitated with the final one having died from a Yamanaka-induced seizure.

Some of Shino's insects attempted to attack the apparent Oto-nin who was overseeing the battle, but they were squashed by slabs of stone that rose out of the ground seemingly of their own accord. It was a bit odd seeing small bugs be destroyed by large stone walls, if Shino's raised eyebrows were anything to note.

"Now, now, that's not very nice," the orange-haired man chided. He let out a tired sigh. "I guess Jirobo will have to interfere. It's such a shame that these ninja were so easily defeated. I guess that's because Shisui of the Body Flicker is leading their enemies, though." Jirobo- if that was his name- kept mumbling to himself even as Shisui launched his body forward.

Walls of rock rapidly rose from the ground and trapped the infiltration team, along with the ninja they had incapacitated. Jirobo, with odd, glowing marks around his body, grinned and put his meaty hands on the rocky walls he had created.

Within the box-like trap, Shisui frowned as he saw chakra leave his body and the bodies of his comrades. The missing-nin they had managed to knock out began to convulse before turning still. His frown deepened at the loss of potential information.

"Listen," Shisui announced, drawing everyone's attention. "Our chakra is being drained by... Jirobo. We need to break out of here and destroy the mine. If anyone has any Raiton jutsu, now would be the time to speak up." There was silence. "All right, then-"

"Why... why didn't you use a genjutsu...?" Anko rasped out. She was still clutching the skin where her curse seal was.

"He wasn't making eye contact," Shisui mournfully replied. He fixed Anko with a stern look. "That isn't the issue here, though. We need to break out. If not for our sake, than for yours."

Anko winced, but it wasn't from the pain.

"What's going on?" Kiba asked. "Why's Anko-san in pain? Did she get hit or something when Akamaru and I were defending her?"

"My kikaichu detect foreign chakra within her system. This chakra is likely corroding her chakra coils, which might be the source of her extreme pain."

"That can be explained later," Chinou quickly muttered, knowing the history behind the curse seal. "We have to get out of here first."

Shisui nodded and began planting explosive tags on the rock walls. "We're not going to capture this guy," he declared. "He has... an odd power, and the foreign chakra will interfere with your jutsu, Chinou. We don't have a resident sealing expert to seal away the foreign chakra, either."

"So we're just going to kill him? Just like that? No information or anything?" Kiba demanded with a frown on his face.

"The... that power is... serious... serious business, kid," Anko mumbled through her agony.

"Back away, everyone," Shisui ordered. He gently lifted Anko in a fireman's carry and backed up to the opposite wall. He made a few one-handed hand-seals and slammed his free palm onto the ground. The explosive tags began to sizzle as they were activated and a wall of mud rose up from the ground to protect the Konoha ninja.

With a resounding _boom_, the explosive tags detonated. The solidified mud wall fortunately held fast and Shisui formed another hand-seal that sent the wall of mud tumbling forward. The Konoha-nin were greeted with the sight of a very displeased-looking Jirobo.

The dust settled and Jirobo shook his head, a small frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. "So you will still fight even with the damaged traitor?" He was referring to Anko of course, who hadn't followed Orochimaru after he had branded her with his seal.

Kiba and Shino were perplexed at this statement while Shisui and Chinou scowled. "She left of her own volition. She is no more a traitor than you are a friend," Shisui shot back.

Jirobo shrugged. "Well, she'll keep getting hurt so long as she's near here. It's a nifty little thing that our leader gave us..." he trailed off, his eyes gleaming slightly.

The tomoe in Shisui's eye spun as he caught the burst of chakra Jirobo emitted. He moved, barely evading the sharp spires of rock that nearly skewered both he and Anko. His teammates began moving as soon as they saw the spires rise. It was pure luck that they had, for the spires of rock jutted out from Shisui's former position and attempted to impale the others.

The sharp, stone spires didn't stop when they missed their targets however. They kept moving, slamming into the wooden pillars meant to support the ceiling. A tremulous rumble was the result of those actions.

"I suppose your aim is to destroy this mine. That's fine; it wasn't completely needed to begin with, so I might as well help you with that," Jirobo remarked. He brought his hands together for a flurry of seals as the supports holding the ceiling up began to crumble.

"He's trying to bury us alive!" Shisui barked. "Let's go! Move it!" With one last glance towards the Oto-nin, the infiltrators sprinted away.

Jirobo laughed tauntingly and released his Doton jutsu. Blocks of stone shoved the wooden pillars away from their positions or shattered them completely. The suicidal technique caused the ceiling to destabilize and fall apart.

That wasn't the end, though. As the infiltration team ran towards the exit of the mines, cracks appeared in the ceiling above them, somehow keeping pace with the speed at which they were running. Large portions of the stone above them began to fall, nearly crushing the Konoha-nin several times.

Lanterns were knocked over or buried by falling debris and rock, reducing the dim level of light even more. It became difficult to see as more and more light was sapped away, even though the team was heading towards the exit.

A sharp rock hit Kiba's arm, causing him to falter and nearly fall. Shino and Akamaru prevented that and forced him to keep moving despite the appearance of a rather deep gash on his right arm. Several small pebbles kept pelting the ninja on the head, providing for an extremely irritating and desperate charge.

The sound of groaning wood reached their ears and a quick, hesitant glance up encouraged Chinou to run faster. "Come on, keep running!" he screamed, jumping a bit further forward so that he could evade a slab of stone that had nearly made contact with the back of his head.

A horizontal slab of rock hit Shisui's side before snaking its way back into the stone walls, causing the Uchiha to gasp in pain and nearly stumble to the ground. He caught himself at the last moment, but his speed was crippled. Some of his ribs were most certainly cracked. He was frankly amazed he hadn't been sent tumbling to the ground to be crushed by the torrent of rock and debris.

"Leave... leave..." Anko bit out, still unable to move. Why her accursed seal was flaring, she didn't know. All she could really think about was the unadulterated, intense pain that rendered her unable to move, defend herself, or do anything at all.

She did realize that she was dead weight, though. If Shisui kept moving with her, thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, they would both be crushed. The other members of the infiltration team couldn't help because they were slowly being slashed and stunned by the dangerous rubble.

Anko couldn't use her chakra. The seal was messing with her coils and she couldn't do anything at all. It hurt her ego and her pride to be so weak, especially when she believed herself to be a kunoichi on par with most of the jounin back in Konoha.

She was a damned good torture and interrogation expert, too. Konoha would be hurt when they found out she was essentially gone.

Anko blinked. It was strange to think that she already accepted what she was about to do. It was just a stray thought, but she knew that her sacrifice would save an ultimately better ninja. It would save an ANBU-level ninja.

She could be replaced. Shisui could not, especially not with those eyes of his. Besides, Jiraiya-sama had already copied down her seal for future reference... what else could she do?

Anko had made her choice. Summoning up the effort to speak through the pain, she grimaced and shoved herself away from a surprised Shisui. "I'll detonate the rest of the tags! They shouldn't be damaged even if they're buried! Just go!" she cried.

Shisui's eyes widened, but he merely gave her a sad, resigned nod. Such a thing had happened to him several times. In fact, he had nearly done so several times before his eyes miraculously figured out a way out of whatever sticky situation he had landed himself in.

Alas, it wasn't to be this time. His eyes couldn't stop the onslaught of destructive earth. He forced himself to run even faster as Anko formed a ram seal.

Shisui didn't look back. He killed his emotions and exited the mines with his team just as explosions rocked the rest of the mines. Despite being buried under tons of rubble, the explosions displaced more dirt and stone, causing even more damage to what remained of the gold mine.

A wildfire greeted him when he exited the mine, acrid smoke causing him to cough and making his enhanced eyes water. His team was crouched down, taking shallow breaths while pressing certain points on their body gingerly.

"Come on," Shisui announced, his voice slightly hoarse. The team wasn't given a breather and kept moving. Through sheer dumb luck they found Naruto and Yume, both of which were watching over an injured chunin. Several other somewhat-hurt chunin were with them, as well as an unharmed Daisuke.

"We lost one," Daisuke stated, not even looking up from where he was standing on the ground. He was patching up the injured chunin with a quick medical jutsu. It would be enough for the moment, at least until they reached Konoha- no wartime camps had been set up yet. Everyone else's injuries weren't as life-threatening, so they didn't need to be healed on the spot. Simple bandages and gauze would do the trick.

Daisuke paused after giving Shisui's squad a once-over. "And I believe there's another casualty," the jounin added.

The remaining ninja of the infiltration team nodded uneasily. "Mission complete," Shisui muttered. "Hokage-sama will want news on what happened here."

"Where's the captain?" Naruto asked confusedly, glancing at the ninja clustered around him.

"K.I.A.," Shisui replied stoically. "We have to move. Forget the fires, forget the body."

"What?" Naruto squawked indignantly. "Konoha ninja don't just leave behind comrades and their..." He didn't really want to say _body._ Despite him knowing Anko for only a short time, it still hurt to hear that her life had been claimed in battle.

"That's an order, chunin," Shisui said, his gaze steely. "There's too much destruction to unearth a body. These fires should prove to be a useful distraction." Shisui turned around, leaving an angry jinchuriki to glare at his back. "Any other people, or ninja, within the mines were likely killed as well. There's nothing else."

"What do you mean-" Yume put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, causing his attention to snap to her. She shook her head warningly. Naruto took a look at the state of the Konoha ninja. Two casualties wasn't much compared to what Kakashi had described about war, but the injuries were enough to make him reconsider wanting to remain behind, especially just to find a body of a woman he didn't really know.

Naruto relented, albeit grudgingly. Comrades weren't supposed to leave comrades behind. How would they receive a burial without a body?

The Konoha ninja let the blazing flames be and headed towards the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Fire. Their pace was much slower than before due to their injuries, however.

The Hokage would love to learn about the... interesting abilities the Oto-nin had. Especially the one the infiltrators had faced, who had had enough of an affinity over Doton jutsu to use techniques without seals and with enough mastery to keep up with several chunin and an ANBU-level jounin.

What if there were more ninja with that kind of proficiency? Shisui hadn't missed the eery marks on Jirobo's body. Was that the power Orochimaru's curse seal bestowed upon those who were granted it?

It was a disturbing thought.

* * *

><p><strong>EDIT: So, people aren't happy that Anko is dead. She's not going to be pairing fodder for Naruto in this story, unlike a lot of other stories I read.<br>**

**Again, I'm sorry for killing off Anko. I like her, I really do, but she had a purpose I wanted to use her for and I did. I'm very sure that people wouldn't act the same way if Kiba or Shino were killed, too.  
><strong>

**Read/review/notify me if there are any errors, whether they be grammatical, spelling, typo-oriented, or continuity related.**


	23. Border

Chapter Twenty-three: Border

According to the Hokage, the mission Naruto and the other ninja were assigned was a success. It was a shame that the mine's riches couldn't be salvaged for Konoha, but cutting it off from the historically poor Suna had been more important.

Despite that fact, Naruto felt angry at himself. Oh, the information gathered during the mission was useful as well, if a bit worrying, but that in addition to the completion of the minor assault didn't put the young blonde's mind at ease.

What really bothered Naruto was the fact that his superior had died and that she was unable to be saved. Shisui's words as they were all running back to Konoha didn't help; he was quite vehement in his decision.

Naruto couldn't feel or see any grief coming from the Uchiha. The slight banter between he and Anko made them seem a bit closer than simple acquaintances, so why was Shisui so... cold?

The blonde jinchuriki trailed his fingers over the Memorial Stone, over Anko's name in particular. He had known her for only a very short time, but it still hurt to have his captain die on their first mission together.

When Naruto had first found out who his parents were, he rushed to the Stone as soon as he was back in Konoha to find their names. A somber Sarutobi Hiruzen informed him where they were immortalized. It was a place Naruto, as a child, would've been unlikely to ever stumble upon their graves.

Even if he had incidentally found their resting places as a child, he wouldn't recognize his mother's grave. Her surname was omitted as a precaution, despite her close proximity to the Yondaime's oddly humble grave.

Naruto looked up at the horizon, squinting at the bright sun. The yellow orb was sinking in the sky and pretty soon it would be evening. Preparations in the village had been progressing quickly, with ninja camps being set up throughout the Land of Fire, and even some beyond the borders.

"Oh? I didn't expect to see you here, Naruto."

Recognizing the familiar presence, Naruto glanced back to see Team Seven's sensei. Hatake Kakashi was lazily walking towards his blonde student, but his single visible eye was awake and alert. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto greeted.

Kakashi nodded at the greeting and walked up to Naruto's side. Both ninja remained silent as they stared at the Stone in front of them.

The masked jounin might not have accompanied Naruto on the mission to Katabami Kinzan, but Itachi's remarks on it- obtained from Shisui, of course- didn't fall on deaf ears. Kakashi wondered how his sensei's son was taking it. Losing a comrade, no matter how close, was never easy.

"So how do you deal with it, sensei?"

The jounin slowly blinked as he absorbed Naruto's impromptu question. Oh, he knew how to deal with the death of a comrade, close or not. It usually involved copious amounts of alcohol in uncontrolled efforts to eradicate that person's death from the memory center of his brain.

He'd learned long ago though that doing such a thing wasn't respectful to that comrade's death, or to his liver. Drinking away the grief wasn't much help, either. The other jounin, like Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai, were usually there to help him when he was younger. Even now, when he was older, Gai was still a particularly close friend.

The jounin really thought his own idiotic tendencies would've driven most people away from him.

"It's not easy, Naruto. The friends you have should help you with your grief. It's never smart to deal with this kind of thing on your own," Kakashi slowly explained.

"It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would," Naruto lowly said. "I expected it to be worse. Is that... wrong?"

"You didn't really know Anko, did you?"

"I didn't. She was sporadic and sometimes came off as crazy, but she was willing to put down her life for the mission," Naruto muttered. He grimaced slightly at his wording. It was probably better to say she was willing to lay down her life for her comrades. That was the Will of Fire, wasn't it?

"Attachment forms over a certain period of time. It leads to friendship and closeness, but that wasn't present when Anko was with you. She was just your captain to you. Still, you're unhappy a fellow Konoha ninja died, and I think that in the end, that's as much as you can do," Kakashi replied.

Some anger sparked within Naruto and he let out a frustrated groan. "Do you ever wish you could go back in time and stop it from happening? Someone dying, I mean," Naruto asked. He'd never really thought about that until now and felt odd that it was aimed towards Anko.

Naruto didn't know his father or mother though, nor did he think he could make a difference if he actually had a chance to save them. How would you save two ninja who were both more powerful than you were from a nearly-almighty fox of doom?

But, that brought up another point to his head. Could he have actually saved Anko, had he been there?

Kakashi closed his eye. "More than you know," he whispered. "We can't do that, though, and living in the past isn't good for you. It's not good for your health either, since you end up with a greater will to accept death when it approaches."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, raising both eyebrows and glancing over at his sensei.

"Naruto, what was I before becoming a jounin-sensei for Team Seven?" Kakashi queried.

"An ANBU Captain," the Uzumaki immediately replied. That bit of knowledge was interesting when he had first heard. It was cool to know he was being taught by a former member of Konoha's Black Ops.

The man nodded. "Precisely. I've seen my comrades die and my partners go mad with grief. Several people will tell you a ninja should be emotionless so that they can continue fighting even when their friends die. That's probably one benefit; you don't feel anything when those who are supposed to be close to you die."

"That doesn't really answer the question," Naruto argued, having heard about the emotionless ninja concept before.

A hand found itself on Naruto's head and ruffled the mat of blonde hair. "Think about it. High-level missions, with your friends dying left and right, and with no one to go home to..."

"You'd want to see them all again," Naruto figured, his blue eyes widening. "In order to prevent people from accepting death too easily, ninja were advised to let go of their emotions in battle."

"In my opinion, that's more of a curse than anything. You lose comfort and joy, and people tend to avoid you. No one likes a zombie," Kakashi said. He chuckled to himself. "They're just not that fun to be around, to be honest."

"So talking with your friends-"

"-Or counselors," Kakashi interjected. "Although we live in a society that routinely accepts murderous acts, we're all still human. In order to prevent people from cracking, therapeutic counselors are there to help you with your issues."

"Err... right," Naruto said with a nod, not having previously known that particular fact. Perhaps they weren't used as often? "Talking through your issues helps." He cracked a grin.

Kakashi hummed exaggeratedly. "I'm not sure if it's working though. You still have a gloomy little raincloud hovering around your head."

Naruto outright laughed at that. Leave it to his strange sensei to come up with silly statements. He did agree though; talking did help his tumultuous thoughts and did make him feel a lot better. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto tilted his head, wondering if he should ask the question that had popped into his mind.

"I see you're still curious about something," Kakashi lazily said, returning his attention to the Memorial Stone and tracing his fingers over Obito's name.

The blonde ninja suddenly felt like asking Kakashi who the ninja he was remembering was, but shoved that bit of curiosity away. Naruto was thinking about someone else. "Kakashi-sensei, is Uchiha Shisui like those... err, zombies? He insisted that leaving Anko behind was the right thing to do."

Kakashi mulled the question around in his head, wondering if he should reveal why Shisui had readily allowed Anko to sacrifice herself. It was an unfortunate curse for those with the Sharingan, but they had been careful about it. It wouldn't do to bloody their clan history again. Lucky for them though that the younger Uchiha of the clan didn't know about that curse.

Then again, the masked jounin didn't feel like it would be a good thing to reveal that secret. Naruto did have a way of pestering people until they gave him what he wanted, though. It was a good thing he didn't want too much too often.

"No, he's not," Kakashi replied, turning back to the Memorial Stone. "Shisui has his reasons for the way he acts, but he isn't a sociopath, and he does put Konoha first."

Naruto gave him a questioning look. "A sociopath?" he asked.

"Oh, people like zombies. They have no conscience and are socially defunct," Kakashi explained. Then he smirked. "I think the latter relates to you, actually."

"I'm not socially defunct, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto dryly said. Not completely, in any case. Years of isolation had taken some kind of toll on him, but interactions with his team had mostly solved that problematic issue.

"I know, but it's funny seeing your reaction." Kakashi cheerfully tried to ruffle Naruto's hair again, only to have the blonde swat his hand away. "In any case, the Will of Fire does burn brightly within Shisui." As it had in Anko.

Naruto snorted. "That sounds like something old man Hokage would say," he muttered.

"Your father said it too you know," Kakakashi remarked. "Minato-sensei was very charismatic. I remember the first speech he gave as Hokage. You would've thought he'd been doing it all his life."

"And you know that's going to be me when I take the hat from the old man," Naruto replied with a confident grin. The grin cracked however and turned into a pensive frown.

"More things you're thinking about?" Kakashi asked. "Still want to know about Shisui? He was one of my old subordinates in ANBU, you know. I wouldn't recommend taking a healthy interest in Black Ops matters unless you want to join, though."

"No, I- wait, really?" Naruto shook his head. It was a cool bit of information, though. Shisui was an ANBU-level ninja? What had happened in the mines must have been worse than Naruto thought if a ninja of that caliber couldn't prevent any casualties. The mission wasn't even that high-level, too. "Well, I mean, many more of our ninja are going to die in this war, aren't they?"

"Thinking back to what we discussed in Amegakure? Yes, people are going to die. Oh, our village will recognize those with the Will of Fire as heroes, but all it ends up doing is furthering the death toll," Kakashi commented.

The teenager sighed. "It's going to get a lot worse, isn't it?" Jiraiya had told him to keep on his toes, especially considering his jinchuriki status. He was powerful, yes, but if enemies found out about what he was holding within, then the blonde would become a high-priority target.

What better way to weaken an enemy force than by depriving it of a useful weapon?

The blonde jinchuriki's sensei turned around and began to leave. Before he jumped onto the rooftops, he turned to Naruto. "For all we know, it could end tomorrow with Suna declaring a cease-fire. I wouldn't bet on it, though. Every single Shinobi War has lasted years, with thousands of casualties. It's probably going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. Keep your spirits up, though." Kakashi jumped into the air, leaving Naruto alone.

Of course the pragmatic, white-haired ninja wouldn't bet on it. There were still other factors present. Naruto knew something was up with Kusagakure and those disfigured Oto-nin that were still running around. He doubted they would stop just because Suna surrendered.

Well, at least he felt a bit better. He'd have to steel himself for his next mission, though. It was near impossible, but Naruto could at least try to prevent any more deaths from happening under his watch. He wasn't strong to ensure they wouldn't happen, but no one could fault him for trying.

If the Hokage was watching him, Naruto knew he would commend him on his Will of Fire. Despite his reservations, protecting Konoha's ninja also protected Konoha itself.

**VvVvV**

(Land of Fire Border)

It had been a few weeks since the destruction of the gold mine within the Land of Rivers. Although Naruto had taken a small amount of missions after that, none of them had been nearly as important, or nearly as dangerous.

The majority of the missions he opted to take were simple patrols. In wartime, they were instructed to follow different given routes just in case the original paths had been figured out or even subverted, which was quite likely given how often they were used.

Since the danger level of the assigned patrols had been deemed low, five unit chunin teams were sent out to fulfill the missions. There were no jounin, meaning that the Hokage expected each chunin serving under him to be a capable ninja worthy of their rank.

The estimated danger level had indeed turned out to be low. No enemies or spies had been sighted within the Land of Fire during the patrols and there hadn't been any fighting as a result. However, there were still other ninja cells being sent out across the borders due to other rising conflicts.

During that time, Naruto had been bored. The lull in fighting was welcome, but that didn't mean it wasn't boring. The blonde had become fidgety with pent up energy that simple training couldn't solve, with the uneasy thoughts that had previously plagued him being banished to the far corners of his mind.

He probably wouldn't have been thinking of gloomy matters relating to the death and possible deaths of his comrades anyway. Naruto was currently heading to an encampment of Konoha that was stationed near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.

An ANBU member wearing a mask reminiscent of a fierce tiger had delivered a missive to him while he was out practicing his seal work. It was an official notice from the Hokage telling him that he was being deployed to a newly-created camp near the Grass border due to suspicious, increasing activity from Kusagakure. From the looks of the notice, Naruto would be there for quite some time.

Kusagakure was harboring suspicious persons and the Hokage had decided to move a portion of his ninja to that area in order to prevent preemptive attacks. It was mostly a silent threat under the international guise of "old grudges." Konoha knew that Kusa was being sneaky and they were letting the village know that its motives and its current alliance were suspect.

If the situation escalated, like it had with Suna, then an ultimatum would need to be issued. Perhaps even an attempted annexation of the Land of Grass would occur. Konoha had relatively little to gain from such an extreme act since provoking Iwa wasn't a smart tactic, but information from Jiraiya had made it clear that Oto-nin- which were definitely within Kusa- weren't playing nice.

Oto-nin were threats to the Leaf Village's security and the Hokage didn't want to tolerate their aggressive presence. Hopefully, the threat would stand and Kusagakure wouldn't do anything rash.

"Stop right there, boy!"

Naruto started in surprise. He hadn't been expecting someone to stop him from reaching the coordinates he was given. The blonde would later realize that such a thing was necessary. Without moving, Naruto stood ramrod straight, awaiting further orders from the voice that was being projected from somewhere within the leaves.

After a few seconds, the same voice yelled out, "All right, you're clear!" Naruto furrowed his brow, trying to place a face to the tone, but he couldn't bring anything up. He kept moving and felt a tingle throughout his body as he passed through a genjutsu barrier.

The coordinates were correct, but the camp was hidden within a powerful, wide-area illusion. From afar, it looked just like another part of the massive forests within the Land of Fire, but once the barrier was passed, the encampment revealed itself. How the camp was capable of maintaining such a thing escaped Naruto.

It was... not fancy, but he hadn't been expecting it to be. Large, rickety-looking tents were propped up throughout the area, with various ninja walking about. Some Konoha-nin were sitting on the ground, conversing with their friends and comrades. Others were walking quickly or jogging to whatever destination they were needed at.

A tall kunoichi clad in a Konohagakure jounin uniform walked up to Naruto. Her brown hair was in a bun and her strict, dark eyes took in his appearance. "And you are?" the tanned woman asked in a demanding tone of voice.

Again, the Kyuubi jinchuriki straightened in respect. "Chunin Uzumaki Naruto, ma'am. Hokage-sama sent me a missive ordering my placement here," he dutifully responded.

She slowly nodded after hearing Naruto's given introduction. She too had received a notice regarding an additional chunin. The older kunoichi hadn't exactly expected it to be the Kyuubi jinchuriki. "Very well. Were there any other notifications in the missive?"

"No, ma'am."

"I suppose I'll have to show you around, then. I'm Niban, second-in-command of this battalion," she began gruffly. "Follow me." Naruto did just that.

Some of the ninja gave him curious looks, but returned to what they had previously been doing. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I don't tolerate clumsiness," she added. She led the blonde to a large tent with an opening at the top. From that opening, billowing smoke was released to the sky. The smoke too was obscured by the barrier.

Inside the tent were several furnaces and apron-wearing ninja, each working to manufacture weapons as a precaution. "The Blacksmith's is where you can obtain needed weapons and restock if necessary," Niban explained. "It isn't top-quality, but it's sharp enough to kill. There's a set number of weapons you're allowed to take before it begins to cut into your payroll. In addition, the cost for certain weapons will be taken out of your payroll regardless of whether it's your first or fifth."

"How much would that number be? And which weapons will we have to pay for?" Naruto inquired.

"That depends on your rank. For any genin, it's usually a number, but for chunin and jounin, it's decided by the amount of times you restock your shuriken and kunai pouches. Chunin are able to completely replenish their total shuriken twice and their kunai once. The other weapons that you pay for regardless are blades, maces, axes, the few explosives we have, ninja wire, and senbon."

Those little needles had to be paid for, even if one pack was taken? Naruto didn't think that they seemed too expensive or difficult to make. It didn't really matter to him since he didn't make use of senbon, though.

The tour continued shortly afterward. Niban led him to a tent that was smaller than the Blacksmith's, but was more ornately decorated. Above the flaps that granted entry to the inside was the insignia of Konoha.

Niban ignored Naruto's casual observations and opened the flap, walking right through. Her charge obediently followed.

The interior was quite ordinary in contrast to the outside. There were plain mats on the grassy ground, with a few tables strewn around. The largest table of them all had a wide map of the Land of Fire and its surrounding provinces on its surface. The man leaning over the table raised his head when Niban entered.

"This is the office of the man presiding over this battalion. This is-"

"Fugaku?" Naruto blurted out in astonishment. Niban sent him a withering glare for interrupting her and for not giving Fugaku his due respect.

Just as Niban was about to give Naruto a harsh tongue-lashing, Fugaku spoke up. "Naruto? Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect Hokage-sama to send you here. How are you doing?" he amicably greeted.

"F-Fine," the blonde stuttered, surprised that Sasuke's father was at the encampment. "I mean no disrespect, sir, but who's running the Police Force in Konoha?"

"My wife," Fugaku nonchalantly replied. "I'm a bit more threatening than I appear, which is why I was selected to be sent here. Mind you, there's nothing really going on. Most of this is just a ruse, but if it fails, we're authorized to take action." Naruto nodded his understanding.

Niban cleared her throat, still glaring slightly at the teenager for being so informal. "It appears you have already met Fugaku-sama," she remarked, awaiting further commands from her superior. She was just going to introduce them and then show Naruto his shared facilities, but the two already knew each other.

"He was on a team with my son, but in the wake of more recent developments... well, it doesn't matter too much at the moment," Fugaku commented. "You will be escorted to a tent, which is where you will stay for the time being. The other ninja in that tent will be part of your team when missions are assigned. Please note that these tents are not co-ed, so you may have kunoichi members staying elsewhere."

After it was clear Fugaku would not speak again, the only female in the room spoke up. "Is that all, Fugaku-sama?"

"Yes. You two may go." Fugaku dismissed them with a hand wave and Niban led Naruto out of the overseer's presence. Niban glanced up at the sun and noted the time. Wordlessly, she led the jinchuriki to where he would be sleeping.

In front of the two ninja was a tent slightly larger than the others. Obviously, it was where he would be staying for the time being, but Naruto was confused as to what the previously seen smaller tents were supposed to hold. Did some ninja get their own rooms?

The tent he was to stay in was simplistically designed. Like the rest of the temporary accommodations, the tent was a dark green, and its size seemed only so that his would-be team members could at least somewhat comfortably sleep within it. In addition, aside from its slightly larger size, there weren't any other defining characteristics. A quick glance around and Naruto had committed the location to memory. It wouldn't do to get lost in his village's own encampment.

"This is where you will sleep," Niban stated. Once more, she looked up at the sky before waltzing straight in, not really caring what state of dress the males in residence were in.

Naruto remained outside and cringed at the indignant squawks he heard. "Get in here, Uzumaki," the kunoichi demanded, her strict voice floating out from within. The blonde teenager shrugged and briskly entered.

Unlike the Blacksmith or the overseer's tent, the interior of Naruto's new home was much like the exterior. It was pretty bare, with thin mats on the grassy ground serving as beds. Two chunin vests and some clothes were littered on the ground, probably as a result of the three lazy male ninja within.

Niban was not amused. In her opinion, ninja weren't supposed to be disorganized. Organization meant a battle flowed easier, meaning one could escape with their life intact easier, and thus serve their village better. What was in front of her looked like some young child's room, not the tent three accomplished chunin were sharing.

As hilarious as the sight was, Naruto didn't really want to bunk with three ninja who apparently felt like cleaning up after themselves was too much of a hassle. After living on his own for so long, cleanliness had become a habit. Not a a big one, but it was there nonetheless. The Uzumaki didn't exactly like coming home to a pigsty.

Pushing those thoughts away, Naruto gave each of his new teammates a polite, friendly smile. They were all playing cards and some coins were scattered around. Each ninja was a few years older than him and didn't look very happy to be intruded upon. The fact that one of them was only wearing a dark blue shirt and black boxers was pretty funny, though.

"Yo, Niban-sensei. Can't you knock- uh, tell us when you're about to barge in here?" the one wearing the dark blue shirt dryly asked.

The jounin rolled her dark eyes. "Sanban, put your pants on. At least try to appear presentable for your new teammate," she sternly chastised. The young man in question groaned in response.

Sanban had short, messy brown hair and green eyes. What skin was showing was tanned and a Konoha forehead protector was wrapped around his bicep. He was of medium height, taller than Naruto but not quite as tall as Niban.

Another chunin who was wearing thin, rectangular glasses tilted his head from his seated, cross-legged position. His sleek hair was onyx black and his white pale eyes signified him as a Hyuuga. His forehead protector was styled like a bandana and was securely wrapped around his noggin. The Hyuuga was wearing ordinary Konoha chunin clothing. "So who's our new teammate?" he asked in a soft voice.

Niban cleared her throat. "This here is chunin Uzumaki Naruto. He is the one assigned to your cell and will be rooming with you for the duration of his assignment. Introduce yourselves, boys," she commanded. Naruto didn't notice the sparks of recognition in the eyes of all three chunin.

"Bangou Sanban here," the boxer-wearing chunin said in a bored tone of voice.

"Hyuuga Enjin," the pale-eyed chunin added, giving Naruto an acknowledging nod.

"And I'm Yottsu," the final chunin said, introducing himself with a wide grin and a flourish. He was tall, large fellow, with a rotund belly and kind brown eyes. His pale blonde hair was held up in a short ponytail and his chunin vest seemed to be a size too small for him. He too was wearing Konoha chunin attire, which were thankfully loose on his bulky frame. "Nice to meet you, buddy!" he exclaimed.

"Nice to meet you all," Naruto replied with a grin of his own. "I hope we can all work together smoothly."

"Don't give him too much trouble," Niban warned, her right eye glinting ominously. "You know how Konoha operates and how we do things. Don't mess up. Naruto, the restrooms are located near the corners of the camp. If you need help finding them, just ask your teammates." With that, Niban turned on her tail and stalked out of the room.

After watching her go, Naruto continued to smile a bit awkwardly at the rest of the chunin. They paid no more attention to him and returned to their card game. Not really having anything else to do, Naruto found a cot that looked unused and walked up to it, being careful not to bother his new teammates.

"Oh, that's mine," Hyuuga Enjin said, not taking his eyes away from the cards in his hand. His black hair was shadowing his eyes, hiding them from his friends.

"Oi, cheater!" Sanban exclaimed with a furious scowl. "Don't make me shave your head again! You know I'll do it!"

Enjin's head quickly rose, revealing porcelain skin and an unused Byakugan. "My threat still stands, you know. I'm sure your right hand wouldn't mind having the reprieve," he drawled.

"Why you little-" Sanban's angry retort was cut off by a loud, sheepish chuckle. Yottsu rubbed the side of his head in embarrassment and raised his hands in a placating manner.

"Come on, you idiots. Is this really the first impression you want to make with the new guy here?"

Both fighting ninja glared at Yottsu for attempting to break their verbal spar apart. Nonetheless, it worked, and they turned their heads to Naruto. The card game the three ninja had been participating in was forgotten, coins and all.

"So where do I sleep?" Naruto innocently asked. He didn't want to laugh at the actions of his new teammates. That might not be a good first impression on his side, either.

"Sleep there, newbie." Sanban pointed out a ruffled cot. It looked like it had been slept in. Hell, it didn't even look clean!

"You're joking, right?" Naruto deadpanned. "One of you've already slept there. I'm not dumb, you know." It probably wasn't Yottsu. That guy's disposition was strikingly similar to Akimichi Chouji.

"Doesn't matter," Enjin stated. "You're younger than us and we know for a fact that you haven't been chunin longer than us. We've been chunin for three years already. We have the seniority advantage here."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. Yottsu was frowning in disapproval, Sanban was smirking, and Enjin had his eyes closed in disinterest. The Kyuubi jinchuriki wasn't selfish, but he did want something clean to sleep in. The bed Sanban and Enjin wanted him to sleep in didn't really look all that alluring.

So, he shrugged his shoulders. "All right, whatever. I'm honestly surprised that you two left that thing alone for who knows how long. I'll just use my own futon," the blonde Uzumaki announced. He walked over to an empty corner and took out a scroll from his chunin vest.

His fellow chunin gaped as Naruto unsealed a futon and nodded in self-satisfaction. Unsealing an object was considered simple for Uzumaki Naruto. He had advanced enough in his sealing studies that he could create them fairly easily. Yeah, he was awesome.

"How'd you get a sealing scroll? Those things are damned expensive and aren't exactly handed out on a daily basis," Enjin asked. His voice wasn't quite as self-righteous as before.

"I made them," Naruto easily replied. It still irked him that the Uzumaki name wasn't synonymous with sealing proficiency anymore. Some older ninja and villages remembered that bit of information, but most of the younger ninja in Konoha sure as hell didn't.

Sanban groaned to himself. "This isn't fair, damn it!" Naruto stared at him curiously. "Why can't we abuse our seniority status?" he cried.

"So you two aren't asses?" Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at the two glares he got in response.

Yottsu snickered. "They just enjoy acting like they have some pull over the rookie chunin. Some other guy was sent to this squad earlier, but was booted out. Weirdest guy ever, too... he had this fake smile and everything, and insisted on calling people odd nicknames he came up with." The large chunin shrugged.

"You can have the clean bed if you want," Sanban muttered in defeat. "How boring..." He didn't get to torture any rookie chunin.

The present Hyuuga sighed. "Well, it was worth a try. Anyway, what can you do in the field? We need to know how the littlest member of our squad fights."

"I wish people would stop picking on me because of my height," Naruto grumbled with a scowl. "I'm only fourteen..."

"Don't worry kid," Sanban said, rising from his sitting position and stretching his body with a groan, "You'll get a growth spurt or something sooner or later. That thing in you-"

"Sanban!" Enjin quickly chastised. The Hyuuga grew incredibly nervous. "He has no idea what he's talking about, just so you know," the Hyuuga insisted to Naruto. The cracked smile on his face was practically splitting his face in half.

"I thought all chunin promoted before my academy graduation were notified that that secret was already known to me. Didn't you guys get the memo?"

"Not everyone was allowed to receive that bit of information," Sanban replied with a roll of his eyes. "That thing in your body has to give you some sort of height boost sooner or later. Well, maybe. Now then... what can you do in the field? If you've seen a Hyuuga fight before, Enjin's style is pretty much that. I'm an Earth Release user and Yottsu over there has an affinity for water-oriented techniques."

"None of you can use more than one type of elemental jutsu?" Naruto asked, surprised.

Enjin scoffed. "Of course they can, but it's much easier to use what you specialize in."

Naruto could agree with that. He couldn't use Lightning Release to save his life if he wanted to. It was probably related to his ability to use both Wind Release and Water Release techniques. He'd have to overcome that disability, somehow.

"I can use Wind Release and Water Release techniques with relative ease and because of my little friend, I can effortlessly create a large amount of solid clones." Naruto paused for a moment. "I have some sealing skill-"

"I still didn't see that coming," Sanban muttered.

Naruto gave him a pointed look. "Anyway, I have some skill in sealing, but it's nothing really special. I use clawed gauntlets to help my hand-to-hand combat and I'm able to use chakra flow. Oh, I can do this too."

The blonde's fellow chunin were all surprised to see a chain rise up of Naruto's right palm. It vanished a few seconds later. Yottsu grinned. "That's pretty neat. It's nice to see a chunin who has some skill." His eyes drifted towards his teammates. "Unlike these two, you seem to have a good head on your shoulders."

"We hate you too, Yottsu," Enjin muttered. "Well, it's just us four. Just defer to Sanban since he's acting leader whenever a jounin isn't present."

"Yep!" Sanban cheerfully exclaimed. "Now then, newbie... clean this place up!"

"He's just an acting leader during missions, right?" Naruto asked, turning to Enjin.

"Nope," Enjin drawled. He left the tent when he saw Sanban begin to pick up his pants. "I'm going out to eat. Don't forget to put my clothes on the cot near the entrance!" he called. Sanban pointed out his own cot and hopped out of the room, still in the process of putting on his pants. His chunin vest remained on the floor.

With a disdainful glare towards the exit, Naruto sighed to himself and walked over to his futon. "You don't have to listen to them, you know," Yottsu began. "They're just teasing you. Sanban can get on your nerves, but you'll like him eventually. He can be nice when he wants to."

"Do you really think I'm about to listen to those two?" Naruto shook his head with humor. Junior to anyone or not, he didn't listen to those he didn't respect. "They're kind of weird, though. None of you hold anything against me, do you?"

"Niban-sensei's a hardass, so not really, no," Yottsu lightly said. "Anyway, how about we get some grub to eat too? They'll suck it up and clean their crap up when they come back. We're going to be here for a while, so we might as well get used to each other, eh?"

Turning on his heel, Naruto walked up to the tent flap and grinned. "I'm hungry from running here, anyway."

"No escort?"

"Who the hell would try to tail someone who could create hundreds of solid copies in a second?"

"Was that a rhetorical question?"

Naruto blinked at Yottsu's response. What was _that_ supposed to mean?

**VvVvV**

(Kusagakure no Sato)

One of Kusa's top jounin stood before his aging superiors. He was wearing a high-collar, black suit. His long, black hair remained still and his dark green eyes never left those he took orders from.

The true leaders of Kusa were all from different factions that had once aimed to control the entire village. Different groups each had slightly different goals, but they came together for the good of the village.

They were all aged, older men and women who were more conservative than the younger generations. That was just how they were raised in their time and how they had managed to keep the village together in times of war. Kusa had never been powerful and at most was seen as expendable by the stronger villages.

Konoha and Iwa saw it as a buffer between their two villages. What better way to prevent damage to your land by fighting in another one altogether? The Land of Rain had that very same problem- at least, before the new leader completely locked it down.

Still, the two elderly men and the two elderly women sitting near a high table had all been given a chance to bring Kusa to greatness. A chance to escape the thumb of Konoha and Iwa and a chance to increase their military might. The weapon they were given would help make it all possible.

They had jumped at the offer. The source was rather... dubious, but given his animosity towards Konoha, it was better than nothing. His efforts had also forced Iwa's attention away from them as their forces bolstered themselves. It shouldn't have been surprising that Konoha had obtained a bit of that information, though.

Unfortunately, Konoha was far stronger than Iwa, and was able to spare some of her ninja as watchdogs. Kusa did not miss the threat, but did not intend to back down. Not with the weapon they had. Not a chance.

Parts of Orochimaru's forces were adept at hiding. They had to be, considering the man apparently had bases located all throughout the Elemental Nations. One of those underground bunkers was hidden near Takigakure and its soldiers were ready to move out when commanded.

With enemies pressing in from two sides, Konoha would have no choice but to retreat. It would allow Kusa to seize land and whatever resources were left behind in the haste to minimize damage. However, a problem was that simply spearheading forward wasn't smart.

Despite their advantages, Kusa did not know where the base of operations was. All they knew was that many Konoha shinobi- more than the usual cells- had suddenly appeared near their borders. They couldn't have been going to Konoha and back, for such a thing wasn't feasible.

Their encampment was likely hidden somewhere, with many more ninja on standby. This assumption was part of the threat Konoha had given.

In order to destroy or route the encampment, several ideas were proposed. Many of them were shot down immediately due to the chance of friendly fire, but one was suggested that caught the attention of the leaders. Using the weapon in such a way wasn't smart due to the damage it would cause to the environment, but what better way to demoralize the enemy?

As long as friendly fire was minimized and the weapon was aimed properly, the plan could work. It was risky, yes, but it was the best they had aside from burning parts of the lush forests within the Land of Fire down. That wouldn't have as high a chance as killing their enemies, too.

"Mui," a gnarled old man intoned, his bald head gleaming slightly in the dim light of the room they were in. "Have you already seen our trump card? Tenma should have introduced you two." He sent a glance towards his left.

Mui nodded affirmatively. "Yes, I have met him. He is much too relaxed for my tastes, but he will do as long as he can follow orders."

"I suppose you'll want to attack Konoha alongside your subordinates," a wrinkled old woman with squinted eyes and silvery hair remarked. "Given what they did to you..."

The hanging statement caused Mui's expression to harden. He did not clench his fists, or grit his teeth. He merely took a shallow breath and nodded sharply. "Yes. I understand what I am to do," he replied.

Another elderly man with cropped, white hair shifted in his seat. He groaned slightly as his old bones popped into place. "And what are you to do? We are not yet ready to attack, even with this generous gift Orochimaru-sama has given us. The supplementary forces issued to us are extremely useful, but Konoha still vastly outnumbers our ninja."

It would take some months before Kusa was finished mobilizing. Most of it was now being done subtly, with their ANBU forces gearing up and honing their skills. If they were lucky, Konoha would be lulled into a false sense of security. If not, then they would have go through with their two-pronged attack without utilizing a small element of surprise.

"In the coming months, we will be ready," Mui stated with absolute certainty. "I have been in correspondence with the leader of the ninja within the Land of Waterfalls."

A sharp intake of breath was heard from the other old woman. Much of her face was obscured by a scarlet cowl. "You are being careful, I assume?" Tenma asked.

"Very," the jounin insisted. "Precautions have been taken each time we speak and Takigakure has no intention of participating in the coming conflict, considering what it was dealing with. Although his forces are ready now, much earlier than we believed, he can utilize the time needed wisely."

The elders exchanged what little expressions they had and finally nodded approvingly. "Do not muck this up, Mui. With Onoki distracted, this is our only chance to escape," the bald man warned.

Mui bowed deeply. "Do not worry, my leaders. I have as much to gain from this as the village does, and then some." The last part of his statement had a tinge of bitterness in it.

Konoha had taken something very dear to him and to one of Kusa's most powerful ANBU. She would likely want to enact revenge as well. That would eventually grant him sweet vindication. Sweet, sweet vindication...

Iwagakure was distracted, busy dealing with the loss of one of their buffers and the incursions brought on by the combined Suna-Oto forces. Konoha, while having been attacked by those very same forces, was not completely focused on them. Those forces were not directly invading the Land of Fire.

Thus, Konoha was able to split her forces. Some would be testing the waters near the Land of Wind, while part of the remaining force was likely waiting in the encampment just across their borders. It wouldn't be enough to defend that part of land if Kusa was lucky.

The presence of the weapon just made it much easier.

In the coming months, they would be ready. For now, they waited, trained, and prepared themselves for battle.

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><p><strong>Post Chapter AN: I apologize for the wait. I was hit with a nasty case of writer's block. I managed to churn this out, though. I hope it's better accepted than the last chapter, and I hope I'm not going in circles too much. And yes, I am using movie characters because I don't much like Original Characters, which is why I purposely try to make mine as generic as possible.**

**Please read, review, and tell me if there are any (continuity) errors. I try to be clean in my writing, but sometimes errors snake their way through my checks.**


	24. Retrieval

**A/N: Happy Holidays! Tell me what you think about this. Leave a review if I've made any mistakes, please!**

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><p>Chapter Twenty-four: Retrieval<p>

Kitsuchi growled to himself as more of those annoying Sand pests ran up to replace their fallen friendlies. Their so-called comrades were from a different village altogether, but they all served their purpose.

As powerful as Iwagakure was, Sunagakure's incursions were difficult to repulse. It was mainly because of their numbers; no one had expected Suna-nin in addition to these other, odd ninja to appear.

When the two different shinobi were separate, it was much easier to kill them or send them running. It was much more manageable. Together, however, their numbers crossed into that threshold that rendered defense much more difficult.

It was costing Kitsuchi good soldiers, many of whom were friends or acquaintances of his. That wasn't even close to scratching how worrying it was that his daughter of all people wanted to help fight for Iwagakure.

More Oto-nin scurried forward to fill the vacancies created by a few of the now-deceased Suna-nin. At least the terrain was in his advantage, Kitsuchi mused. He discreetly motioned to his comrades to back away before quickly forming hand-seals.

"Doton: Magnificent Landslide!" Kitsuchi bellowed. He slammed his hands on the rocky soil below and the area began to rumble. The Oto- and Suna-nin stopped moving, taken off-guard by the sudden, localized earthquake.

With a savage crack, the rock Kitsuchi was standing on shifted and heaved, sending dust and debris into the air. The shaking intensified and the solid ground below began _flowing_ forward, as if it were a type of liquid. Large pieces of hard debris flew off the ground and soared towards his still-stunned foes.

Fortunately, they didn't move too much. Dangerous boulders rained down on them, crushing those they made contact with. Anyone who managed to evade the boulders was pierced by earth spears or swallowed up by the splitting earth. Even after the technique was finished, the shaking remained for a few more seconds.

The Tsuchikage's son was skilled in Earth Release techniques and the jutsu he had just used was a testament to that. The battlefield was wiped clean of enemies and his comrades walked back up to him, some whistling in admiration of the damage done.

"That was pretty awesome, yeah."

Kitsuchi sighed. Deidara was annoying, but useful. Send him out with the Explosion Corps and they could destroy an army if they acted correctly. Sending him out with other people was just Onoki's way of preparing the blonde bomber. "Yes, Deidara, I suppose it was pretty awesome," he replied.

"We're heading back now, yeah?"

"There's nothing else out here," an Iwa-nin stated. His hands were on the ground and his face had been wearing an expression of concentration; he had been using the vibrations of the earth below to try to sense any remaining enemies.

"Right. Let's go back to camp. We'll send a runner to the Tsuchikage when we get there. Oh, and Deidara? Nice job on not completely destroying our surroundings," Kitsuchi dryly remarked.

He got a sheepish chuckle in return. "Sorry. I'm still getting used to that technique, yeah?"

Kitsuchi snorted and without waiting for anyone, began to leap in the direction he and his squad had come from, back towards the camp they had set up. Thankfully, it wasn't too long of a trek. The group of Iwa-nin reached the encampment in under an hour.

After being granted access, Kitsuchi asked for someone to take a message back to the Tsuchikage, but was informed to head to the captain's tent- his tent. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"You have some visitors, sir," the Iwa-nin nervously replied, not wanting to invoke the wrath of his commanding officer.

After staring at his subordinate, Kitsuchi decided to walk to his tent, where he oversaw all of the operations and actions of the ninja under his command. Sometimes, he left the encampment to deal with a particularly snippy problem, which was why he had dealt with the Oto- and Suna-nin earlier.

Waiting for him were two people, one of which he thought he'd never see again. The first was a big surprise, while the other's presence was much more convenient. Kitsuchi wasn't sure why they were in his tent, though.

One of the two was dressed in formal robes that designated him as one of the recognized leaders of the great villages. Despite his short stature, the man was one of the most feared ninja in existence, with years of experience behind him. He was sitting in the chair normally reserved for Kitsuchi.

The other was a man in olden armor, with an old-fashioned type of headgear and red hair. His tanned skin and perpetual scowl marked him as another feared ninja, although not quite as known as the short man standing next to him. The man was standing next to his senior.

"Well, this is a... pleasant surprise," Kitsuchi began. His voice was strained, though.

Onoki's mustache twitched. "I did say I was going to bring him, didn't I? We needed more help. Right now, I'm counting our blessings that Konoha doesn't seem to want to capitalize. They're apparently hung up on Kusagakure and their own problems with Suna," he said, casting a glance at the man at his side.

"Some more help would be nice," Kitsuchi agreed, some of the tension draining out of his voice at how Onoki and Roushi were accepting the other's presence. "I haven't seen you in years, Roushi."

"If only it was under better circumstances," Roushi gravely responded. He didn't seem all too happy to be called back from whatever career hiatus he was on. "I'd like to know just how we're being overrun. The old man here has been pretty tight-lipped."

"Yes, I'm sure you're aware of how easily Suna was defeated in the last war, but this is different," Onoki lightly commented. He turned to Kituschi, giving the man a silent command to continue from where he left off.

The Tsuchikage's son rubbed his beard and glared up at the ceiling. "We have more than just scorpions after us this time. Suna's been collaborating with these other ninja, ones that bear a musical note as their village's symbol. There's too many ninja for us to handle, to put it bluntly," Kitsuchi explained.

"Feels like the reverse of when we were fighting Konoha. Surely they can't be that coordinated," Roushi argued.

"From what's been reported, Sunagakure's forces are far more coordinated than those meat-shields they call ninja," the Tsuchikage remarked, referring to the Sound ninja. "I believe Kitsuchi's recent engagement should end up proving that."

"They all ended up dying anyway, so the difference in tactics is marginal," Kitsuchi snapped, evenly meeting his father's eyes. "Why are you really here, Onoki? If you just wanted to send reinforcements, Roushi would've come alone."

Father and son stared at each other, both like unrelenting stone. "There have been reports of Oto-nin cursed, or perhaps gifted with, special abilities that enhance their strength," Onoki slowly informed, not breaking eye contact with his son.

"And since this outpost has seen the most action, you wanted to see if I had anything to report," Kitsuchi finished, putting the pieces together.

"Yes and no. It would be nice to get more information on these rumors, given how many of my ninja have been killed in action and how often they've passed on, but I'm also here to give you a mission of your own. It's been a while since we've seen Han, after all," Onoki corrected.

Kitsuchi very visibly recoiled as Roushi's expression hardened. Han was their cousin and quite possibly even more dangerous than the Tsuchikage. Whereas Roushi was treated with respect due to his achievements and power used in Iwa's name, Han was a destructive force reviled within his former home.

The power granted to those who were the jinchuriki of the Gobi was the main reason of their high danger level. The ability to vaporize all water within a certain area was an inherent technique of the Five-Tails and was extremely likely to cause damage.

As a child, Han was not able to control that ability. Quite a few casualties ended up being a direct result of that inability, causing both ninja and civilian alike to shun the jinchuriki. Hushed whispers and rumors only exacerbated the issue, resulting in Han leaving Iwagakure.

Despite Han's calm demeanor, he detested those who didn't give him a chance. Those who believed in hearsay and false rumors were who the Gobi jinchuriki directed his resentment at.

"Are we given the option of refusing?" Kitsuchi slowly asked. It wasn't that he didn't care for his cousin. It was more like he had no idea what to say to the man. Han had left long before Roushi had.

"No," Onoki promptly replied, shooting down the question. "His strengths will benefit us. I realize he probably has little to no inclination to return, but I want you to speak with him. Try to convince him to return. You two used to be his favorites."

Roushi snorted at the old man's phrasing. Some people tended to change over time. "How the hell are we supposed to know whether or not he'll kill us on sight? It's been years since he's seen us."

"I hope he's still as... mild-mannered as he used to be," Kitsuchi murmured. "I believe Han valued family counsel the most."

The only jinchuriki in the room grumbled to himself. Han did always show the most restraint with his unique techniques when he was around family members. "Do you even know where he is? I haven't exactly kept in contact with him myself," Roushi dryly remarked.

"What are we going to say to him? I'm sure treating him conventionally won't make a good impression." Presenting a note forcing Han to act as a weapon of war would likely irk him and Kitsuchi had no intention of dying via having his blood boiled.

Onoki addressed his son first. "Like you said, he values family the most. It's better than sending ANBU after him." He turned to Roushi. "I don't know exactly where he is, but I have an idea of his general location."

"Get on with it," Roushi growled.

The Tsuchikage chuckled. "Han does move a lot, you know. Unlike you, he doesn't gamble and drink his worries away." Roushi rolled his eyes. It wasn't like it was doing him any harm. "Recently, I believe his last location was somewhere within the Vast Expanse to the north of the Land of Fire."

"So he does want to avoid contact with society..." Kitsuchi mused. "The Vast Expanse, though? I know the southern, flatter part of that land is settled by simple villages, but the northern portion is full of mountains. It seems like something a Kumo-nin would run through on a normal day."

"Afraid of the magical dragons, chimeras, and werewolves?" Roushi mocked. "It's just a mountain. Besides, I'd rather not waste my time. When was the last time you looked for him?"

"A few weeks ago while making sure no enemies would pass through Takigakure's lands," Onoki replied. "We picked up markers that undoubtedly signaled his was in the area, or at least nearby. You, Roushi, could probably find him without any problems. If there are any issues, consult the indigenous villagers before heading out."

"What about this place here?" Kituschi asked, waving his hand around to indicate the area he was in charge of.

After mulling an idea about in his head for a few moments, the Tsuchikage smirked. "I think Deidara-"

"No!" Kitsuchi cried. "The kid's a genius, but he has some issues with friendly fire. He's a good person, yes, but I think he's more likely to kill everyone than the scorpions are!"

"He has promise, Kitsuchi." Onoki's eyes gained a faraway look. "I know people see him as the most destructive member of the Explosion Corps, but give him some time. He's rough, but he will eventually turn into a smooth, tough boulder. Besides, I'll still be here from time to time."

The Tsuchikage's son groaned and ran a head down his face. "You're going to regret this, just so you know. When are Roushi and I going to leave?"

"Since Han occasionally moves, you're leaving _now_," Onoki said in a tone that meant no arguing. "I will inform and tell Deidara what his duties are, and I will directly inform the ninja in the encampment of the change."

No rest was a bit of an irritant, but Kitsuchi could make do. "All right. I'll just restock and leave. Roushi, are you ready?"

"I've been ready for the past few hours," Roushi replied. "Get your stuff and meet me at the front of the camp, where that pretty lady is."

**VvVvV**

(Vast Expanse)

Aside from a few close calls, there wasn't any trouble with crossing Takigakure's borders and entering the Vast Expanse. The land itself was ungoverned except for the few villages scattered about and they hardly counted as lawmaking nations.

"Mind telling me why you and dad weren't at each other's throats?"

Roushi abruptly stopped moving and refrained from jumping onto another branch. "What?"

"You heard me," Kitsuchi said. "I'm all for ordinary conversation, but I was waiting for you two to blow the place up."

The trip through Taki's lands was quiet and unobtrusive. It had to be in order to evade any Taki-nin patrolling the area. The two ninja hadn't had any time to talk or catch up. They simply made their way through the country as fast as they could.

Now that the two were in a much friendlier place- relatively speaking, of course- Kitsuchi wanted answers. Roushi apparently didn't want to start a conversation and Kitsuchi was tired of the awkward silence between them.

The Yonbi jinchuriki sighed and looked up at the sky. It was mid-morning and the two ninja had been traveling since the sun rose. At their pace, they would probably reach the area Onoki had pointed them towards at dusk. "What brought this on?" Roushi asked.

"You nearly burned the house and the surrounding area down all those years ago," Kitsuchi dryly said. "The camp wasn't in flames when I entered, so something obviously happened."

The other man didn't want to have this conversation. He knew Kitsuchi was stubborn, though. Everyone in their family was stubborn. It must have been genetic or something.

Roushi settled for trying to end the conversation as quick as possible. "He apologized," Roushi simply informed. He made to leap forward again, but Kitsuchi's sputtering stopped him.

"What? Dear old daddy _apologized_? If I wasn't sure you were as stubborn as he was, then I definitely wouldn't believe you. Even now, I don't really believe you."

"It doesn't really matter either way," Roushi growled. "The Yondaime Hokage turned out to not be as ambitious as he thought, just like I told him. Konoha has historically never truly incited wars. Not directly, at least. When this came up, I guess Onoki realized I was right."

"So he actually apologized?" Kitsuchi asked in amazement.

"Yeah. I don't really care for remembering old problems, though." He smirked at Kitsuchi. "You always were a nosy one, Curious Kitsuchi-kun."

Kitsuchi made a noise that sounded like an odd cross between a groan and a laugh. He didn't respond and instead leapt forward. Roushi followed him.

Although they continued to make small talk, it wasn't quite as awkward as it had been before. The sheer speed they were traveling at also made them reach their destination just as the sun began to sink behind the massive mountains in the distance.

As ambiguous as their destination was, the two ninja knew when they had reached it, or at least the general area. It was mountainous, with steep crags and rocky boulders dotting the landscape in addition to sparsely distributed greenery.

Roushi and Kitsuchi gaped in astonishment at the monstrous bones littering the area. How they had gone unnoticed and unexamined for so long was unbelievable. The bones themselves looked to be large enough to belong to some of the larger animals ninja could summon, oddly enough.

As intriguing as the bones were, they all looked fairly old. Whatever animal they belonged to was long dead as well. Han wouldn't have chosen an area filled with loud, rambunctious, and extremely volatile beasts fighting for dominance over one another.

"Well then..." Roushi began, peering interestingly at a set of bones that looked to be part of a ribcage. "Let's start looking. The old geezer was right, by the way. I can feel remnants of the Gobi's chakra, and it's heading north."

"Deeper into this jungle?" Kitsuchi asked in bewilderment. The greenery just seemed to get denser and denser as they went on and it felt like it was going to become even more tightly packed. Luckily, good ninja weren't claustrophobic, and good ninja the two family members were.

The Yonbi jinchuriki didn't answer. Instead, he walked forward, gazing down at the rocky soil intently. "Follow me," he hurriedly demanded before sprinting into the assortment of plants and trees. Kitsuchi followed without any objections.

Since there wasn't any type of physical trail present, Kitsuchi had to run behind Roushi as the jinchuriki went through a winding path covered with thick roots, odd bushes, boulders, and more of those giant, aging bones.

It took some time, but the duo reached a large mountain that had a wide hole gouged into a cliff face. Without any visible apprehension, Roushi walked right into it. Kitsuchi was a little more nervous, if only of the chance to find an irate cousin. Nonetheless, he entered the hole as well.

What was surprising was that the inside of the cliff face looked man-made. The walls were completely smooth and did not look natural at all. Although it was dim, the ambient light was enough to allow visibility.

"What the hell is going on here?" Roushi muttered, slowing his pace and quieting his movements.

"Han couldn't have done this. He was never particularly talented with Doton techniques," Kitsuchi added, falling into step next to Roushi.

The passageway they were in would've branched off, but the other pathways were either clogged with debris or lacking in light, and the two Iwa-nin hadn't brought a light source with them. They continued moving forward, eventually reaching an opening that led to a wide-open room.

Inscriptions and murals were marked on the walls. Many of them had the renowned Uchiha Fan on them, much to the duo's confusion. The large figure sitting near the center of the room was what caught their complete and undivided attention. The remains of a fire was nearby, the ashes still smoldering.

"You're not as quiet as you think." Han's voice, a hoarse, emotionless whisper, echoed eerily in the room. Its disuse was apparent.

"Hello Han," Roushi said grimly. "Long time, eh?"

Han did not reply. He picked up a stick that was lying at his side and prodded what was left of his campfire.

"Did you make these?" Kitsuchi tried, undeterred by Han's unresponsiveness.

"I did not, Kitsuchi."

"Ah." Kitsuchi swallowed thickly. He had mentally prepared himself for such a confrontation, but the real thing was much different than he thought it would be. It was nearly paralyzing.

"You know what, to hell with this," Roushi growled. He was never one for being subtle. True to what he was, he preferred massive firepower first and subtle sneakiness second. "Han, Onoki wants you back. I don't know how long you've been stuck out here, but we're at war."

Not having anything to add, Kitsuchi remained silent. He would've stated things in a more refined manner, but he lost his chance, unfortunately.

Han sighed and his steam armor hissed. Some steam rose up out of the contraption on his back, causing the other Iwa-nin to tense slightly. "I suppose he called you back first, Roushi?"

Momentarily taken off-guard, Roushi was unable to answer. This time, Kitsuchi replied, "Yes, he did. Our ninja are dying and it's likely that more trouble is on its way. Surely you wouldn't abandon your family and their village?" Because Han already abandoned _his_ village.

"Abandon my family? Why shouldn't I?" Han rose from his seat and slowly turned around. For the first time in years, Roushi and Kitsuchi saw the face of their cousin. The visible portion of his face was a lot more wrinkled than the last time they had seen it, but his amber eyes were just as intense. "I should come back to a family that willingly allowed my isolation?"

"It's not like that," Kitsuchi argued. "Changing the opinions of people locked in their traditions is difficult!"

Han sneered. Even with the mask on, the other ninja could tell it was there. "That's not what I mean. You all didn't do anything. You were content to spend time with me in order to prevent my defection, but did not even attempt to stop its root cause," he whispered, somehow sounding just as loud as if he had shouted.

"What did you want us to do? The old man was busy with his own priorities and we were busy with ours. It's been years since you've left, anyway. I doubt anyone remembers those old rumors," Roushi defended.

"Superstitions never completely vanish! You should know this the most, Roushi," Han harshly said, knitting his brows together. "It is below Kokuou to be used as a tool for senseless killing!"

Roushi's jaw dropped. His shock was palpable, for Kitsuchi turned and gave him an questioning glance. The only non-container wondered just what, or who, Kokuou was. Being used as a tool was below a respectful king? Did Han think he was above violence?

The Yonbi jinchuriki took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, deciding to try what Kitsuchi had suggested. "Then change that," he muttered. "Change the way they see you! Change their superstitions from idiotic fear to beloved respect! Show the people that you can be there to defend them from their nightmares! Protect them from those who would seek to kill their friends, families, and loved ones!"

His voice echoed loudly in the chamber. Roushi's eyes were burning with fiery passion and an oppressive aura filled the air as his Killing Intent flared, as if daring Han to question him.

He hoped it would be enough.

Han scoffed, his eyes narrowing cynically. "You may have faith in them, but I don't. Why should I? They never gave me a chance before, so why would they do so now?"

Kitsuchi's eyes flickered from Roushi to Han. He chuckled suddenly, reminded of Deidara. Han jerked his head to his other cousin. "I'll bet you find this amusing, Kitsuchi, given who you are."

"Of course I do," Kitsuchi replied, a wry grin still pasted on his face. "You remind of this kid in the Explosion Corps. The brat's a natural genius, but he has a tendency to hurt other people around him when he uses his techniques. As annoying as that is, his actions and desire to help his own make him pretty damn likeable.

"Even though people are wary around him, he's dependable and wouldn't intentionally hurt one of his comrades. In fact, it's that particular trait that's made him Onoki's next choice as Tsuchikage. That, and his strength. Even though he does hurt people from time to time, he gladly tries to make up for it."

"That's an entirely different situation." Han scoffed. "The Explosion Corps don't carry my kind of stigma."

Kitsuchi raised an eyebrow. "Do you honestly believe people care? If you've kept up with world events, then you'd remember the war that took place in Kirigakure. Bloodline carriers were treated even worse than you were. All people did was avoid you. No one tried to kill you as a child, nor did they try to enforce a regime made to exterminate those like you.

"When people are afraid, it doesn't matter who they blame. Whether they are containers, bloodline carriers, or just people from a certain nation, it won't matter. If their fear is strong enough, they will discriminate, isolate, and attack. I'm surprised you think you're alone in that respect," Kitsuchi commented.

Han's sneer lessened and he appeared more unsure of himself. He had known about Kiri's little purge.

"The brats running our ninja forces now don't have much experience with us. They won't have any prejudices and even if their parents and elders attempt to sway their opinion, they will only rebel. Such is how teenagers act. But, you're apparently too much of a coward to give these... _youngsters_ a chance," Roushi heatedly added. He folded his arms over his broad chest and glared.

"I..." Han paused, unable to formulate a proper response. He really had no reason to stay behind and the words of his cousins did make sense, but...

It hurt. All of those fearful, hateful stares, the isolation, and the hushed whispers had left their mark. Han was always apprehensive around people, never truly becoming a person who would actively engage in conversation. He was a recluse.

"Look, if you're just going to condemn ninja who don't even know who you are to their death, then our efforts are better spent trying to minimize casualties," Kitsuchi bitterly declared. He turned to Roushi. "I don't know about you, but I'm leaving. We have better things to do."

Roushi stared at Han for a few seconds longer and then turned to leave as well.

"_**You should follow them.**_"

_Kokuou?_ Han ventured. The Tailed Beast within him didn't usually give him advice. Oftentimes they conversed about the places Han ventured to, with the occasional remarks made about human perceptions regarding leadership and government.

"_**Their points were sound. It is below you to simply ignore the lives of young ones who don't even know our history.**_"

_I don't know. I... I am afraid. It was not pleasant back then_, Han mentally replied.

"_**You will never know unless you give them a chance. No king becomes praised by standing by and ****watching his men die."**_

Tentatively, Han placed an uneasy foot forward, followed by another. And another.

And another.

**VvVvV**

(Land of Waterfalls)

Roushi slightly turned, acknowledging Han's presence as the Gobi jinchuriki continued to follow his escorts to where the Tsuchikage had presumably remained. Although Han stayed with them when they rested, he preferred to keep his distance when they were traveling.

That suited both Roushi and Kitsuchi just fine. They had succeeded in their mission, but only time would tell if Han was really willing to help Iwagakure out. Hopefully, very few would remember the tales surrounding the Gobi and its jinchuriki.

Both men also didn't want to withstand the unbearable tension and awkward silence. Han didn't want to tolerate it either, which was why he kept his distance.

"Stop," Roushi intoned. He held up a hand signaling Kitsuchi and Han to be more cautious. The trio of men stilled and waited. When no one had shown or passed in over a minute, Roushi frowned.

He had felt a slight trembling below them, like there were hundreds of footsteps rhythmically pounding on a stone surface. That didn't seem very plausible to him, but he was one for having a healthy dose of paranoia. It had certainly helped when Iwa's ANBU came looking for him in the past.

"What's going on?" Kitsuchi whispered, gazing at his surroundings intently. Nothing seemed out of place and he wondered what Roushi was looking for.

A soft clanking reached their ears as Han approached. Although his face was mostly covered, the two men could see the confusion in his eyes. "Did you two feel the ground shake at all?" Roushi lowly asked.

Kitsuchi nearly snorted. "Here? Near Takigakure, of all places?" he incredulously said.

"Why are we stopping?" Han quietly murmured. Were they deciding to rest already?

Roushi was silent. He prowled around the area, occasionally directing quick glances towards his surroundings. Then, he looked down, his eyes widening. "It's coming from below. I don't expect you to be able to feel this, Han, but Kitsuchi might be able to," he explained.

Realization dawned on Kitsuchi's face. He wasn't the greatest sensor, but his skill with Doton techniques gave him some leeway when looking for shinobi disturbing the earth. Placing his hands on the soil below, the Tsuchikage's son began to focus.

"You can feel it too, can't you?"

Slowly rising up, Kitsuchi nodded with narrowed eyes. "There's a hidden _something_ underground and I'm very sure there are ninja- or maybe well-trained samurai- down there."

"It might be from the ones that the old man said were giving us trouble," Roushi suggested.

"Onoki did say scouts found evidence of underground bunkers being built and used," Kitsuchi mused. He groaned to himself. "This isn't good at all. I don't know about you two, but I don't feel like letting an army know we're nearby."

"The accomplices of Sunagakure are down there?" Han queried. Although he had partially paid attention to the state of the ninja villages, bits and pieces of his knowledge were patchy. Roushi and Kitsuchi had taken the liberty of informing him of certain things.

"Unless it's a series of man-eating moles, then they're using an underground base here. On our first trip through, we didn't notice any activity from those specific ninja, so Takigakure might not know of their presence," Kitsuchi added. "Given how close we are to the Land of Fire, I don't think they're meant to cause trouble for Taki or for us."

"Then it's not our problem," Roushi said. "I don't want to attract attention, especially since we're all individuals that would make very useful prisoners of war." He didn't mention the known fact that upon examination, he and Han would be revealed as jinchuriki.

The rumbling returned. A short distance away, large amounts of soil began to rise up. A massive, pink snout sniffed the air before vanishing back underground. Roushi cast Kitsuchi an incredulous look, but winced as the rumbling intensified.

An incredibly large, purple snake exploded out from the hole the giant mole had created, showering the Iwa-nin with dirt and dust. Its size was something to be amazed at and it towered over the trees in the surrounding area.

What was strange was that the snake wasn't looking over at them. Instead, its slit-eyed gaze was pointed in the direction of the Land of Fire. That soon changed when the snake tasted the air with its flickering tongue. A loud hiss burst from its jaws and the snake turned to its newly-identified prey.

"Looks like we weren't on its list," Kitsuchi bit out, already flipping through hand-seals in preparation for an attack.

"Too bad it checked twice," Roushi sarcastically replied. He inhaled deeply and blasted out a large wall of flame that ignited the earth dragon Kitsuchi summoned. The flaming, stone dragon crashed headfirst onto the snake's side, causing it to shriek in pain and anger.

It quickly sank its body back into its burrow in retreat. "It's not going to be gone long, so let's move!" Roushi yelled, sprinting forward and ignoring the small flames that were slowly spreading through the area.

It wasn't gone long at all. Rather than wait for another giant mole to poke a hole in the soil, the massive reptile burst out of the ground nearby. On its glistening, scaly head were two ninja. One of them pointed at the running men, causing the snake to slither its entire body out of the hole it made.

Han saw the other Oto-nin jump back into the hole. The androgynous enemy ninja was probably notifying his or her comrades and raising an alarm. The other one was directing the giant snake as it chased them down, uncaring of the greenery it flattened or the trees its tail snapped.

"I'm not sure we can outrun this snake," Han calmly said, easily keeping up in running speed with his cousins.

"You've got that right!" Roushi shouted back. "I can't kill it without wrecking this place and we definitely don't want Iwa implicated in this." Kirigakure had the bloodline limit as well, but there was a certain... _flair_ the Yonbi jinchuriki had with his Yoton techniques.

Many people from the previous war were still alive and those from Konoha would recognize his techniques. In addition, Kirigakure would find differences.

"I'll handle it," Han simply said. Without waiting for a response from his cousins, he jumped onto the branches of the tallest tree nearby. From there, he jettisoned up into the air, blasting steam out of the heels of his boots. When he reached the apex of his jump, he began to gather chakra.

The snake and its handler saw the ninja in midair. Both decided that he was an easy target, even if he was slowly beginning to descend back to earth. The snake's scales glinted in the sunlight as it lunged its massive head forward, the jaws separating as it prepared to swallow Han whole.

Faster than both Roushi and Kitsuchi could see, Han removed the mask covering the lower half of his face, revealing a lined, grim frown. His mouth opened, spewing out copious amounts of hot mist. The mist itself made contact with the snake's face and the reptile recoiled as its skin sizzled.

The ninja on top of the snake's head yelped at the rising temperature, but fastened his feet to the snake's thrashing head with chakra. He attempted to throw shuriken at his enemy, but Han had already begun to vanish into the greenery once more.

Before he completely disappeared from their sight, he formed a ram seal. Cold water coalesced above the writhing snake's head. Creating liquid water from the mist he had left behind was an easy thing to do for Han and directing it was even easier.

The large sphere of cool water fell onto the snake's boiling scales, causing it to explode violently in a shower of gore. The surrounding area was pelted with blood and other fluids from within the snake's body. Its handler was mutilated as well.

"Steam explosion, eh?" Roushi said, a wry grin on his face as Han caught up with them. "You know, this gives me some ideas."

"Shouldn't we leave, Roushi?" Kituschi asked. Even though he was trying to appear serious, watching Han blow up the snake was entertaining. It was also a dose of the firepower the jinchuriki would essentially be bringing to their forces.

"Yeah, let's-" Roushi didn't complete his sentence, for an arrow of all things hit his abdomen, causing him to double over and wheeze in pain.

"Shit!" Kitsuchi hissed, forming an earthen dome around them just in case whoever was attacking decided to go for the kill. Roushi grit his teeth and grabbed the object protruding from his stomach. He forcefully yanked it out, but the bleeding didn't stop. The extra damage did not help.

Kitsuchi turned slightly green at the sight of Roushi cauterizing his own wound. "Whoever shot me put some kind of poison on the arrow's tip. I'll be fine for now, but I'll need medical attention as soon as possible," the Yonbi jinchuriki hurriedly explained. His face was pale and he was panting slightly.

Han examined the arrow intently. It was more like a long, barbed stick made of some hard material rather than wood. "This isn't a conventional arrow," he murmured. He looked back up at his cousins. "I can give us some cover if you do not want to engage the enemy."

There was a smattering of voices from the outside of the dome. Obviously, their enemies weren't going to wait around for them to come out with their hands up. "Can you move?" Kitsuchi quickly asked, giving Roushi a critical once-over.

Roushi shifted from where he was on his knees, groaning softly at the pain in his stomach. "Didn't you hear me? I'll be fine," he said, grimacing as he slowly stood up.

The Gobi jinchuriki formed a ram seal and mist began to flow out from the openings in his armor. "Bring the dome down. The mist will expand and cover our escape. That is, unless you wish to attack?"

"Not with Roushi injured," Kitsuchi stated. "I'll stick with him to make sure he doesn't collapse. Ready?" Han nodded, and Kitsuchi brought the dome down. Gaseous water vapor rapidly expanded, hiding their forms from view and consequently hiding everything else around them, too.

However, it was expected that the Gobi jinchuriki could fight in such conditions. It was, after all, his own ability that caused the steam to appear. With Han leading them, Kitsuchi and Roushi picked their way through their foggy surroundings.

There were some panicked voices and some angry ones, but none of their foes could discern their location. That was good, for Roushi's injury didn't allow him to move at his maximum speed. As the steam continued to expand outward, the proximity between the three Iwa-nin and their rather ambiguous enemies lengthened.

It took some time, but the trio managed to escape the band of enemy ninja looking for them. When the three men finally crossed the border and entered the Land of Earth, they altered their direction and headed towards the outpost Kitsuchi and Roushi had departed from.

It was unlikely that any offending search parties would cross the border, but Kitsuchi didn't want to waste time. With Han now supporting Roushi, Kitsuchi led the way to the encampment. They were swift and without the possibility of being discovered by enemy ninja, made good time.

Despite Roushi's injuries, he didn't stop running. His ardor was admirable, but it was mostly in the hopes of self-preservation. Powerful as the Yonbi was, the poison wasn't being purged from his system quick enough, and his body was beginning to feel numb.

Years of being a stubborn fool prevented him from completely faltering, but upon seeing the guards Iwa posted, he collapsed next to his fellow jinchuriki. The three guards approached them and after quickly identifying and confirming their identities, escorted them into the encampment.

Well, Kitsuchi and Han were escorted to the encampment. Han was met with caution due to his armor and intimidating size, but was eventually allowed through. Roushi was thrown haphazardly over Kitsuchi's shoulder as his legs failed him.

When they entered the camp, two medics put Roushi on a stretcher and carried him away to administer aid. Kitsuchi watched them tote him to the medical tent before leading Han to his overseer's tent.

Ninja- most of them young enough to not even know a bit of Han's history- gazed curiously at the man following their captain through the camp. It was obvious from the armored man's stiff movements that he was nervous.

Onoki attempted to appear genial, but Han's appearance caught him unawares. Truth be told, he didn't expect Kitsuchi or Roushi to succeed. "So, I see you and Roushi succeeded," he slowly began.

"We were attacked on the way back, while we were traveling through the Takigakure's lands," Kitsuchi explained. Roushi's absence was definitely noticed and the Tsuchikage would likely inquire about it.

"And Roushi was injured in this attack?"

"He got shot by an arrow," Roushi deadpanned. Arrows were not conventional shinobi weapons.

"An... arrow?" Onoki replied, surprise evident in his voice. "I'm surprised the medics took him. They did take him, right?"

Kitsuchi nodded, rolling his eyes as he did so. "The tip was poisoned and whoever shot it had enough training in stealth that we couldn't detect him." Onoki gave his son a hard look, silently urging him to continue. "We were attacked near the border that led into the Land of Fire and... a snake summons tried to swallow us whole."

Onoki reclined on the chair he had claimed and interlocked his fingers. "A snake summons, you say? Orochimaru is supposed to hold the contract, but it appeared in Taki. Is Taki-"

"No," Han interrupted. Onoki nearly flinched at the new voice, but he was professional enough to not let that happen. His forced cordiality was the only thing that made him refrain from unnecessarily questioning Han. "Our enemies were not from Takigakure. Their forehead protectors denoted them as accomplices of Suna. We believe they were hiding underground, away from scrutiny by the land's local forces."

The Tsuchikage gave Han a long stare. "And they were near the Land of Fire, correct?" Onoki tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Takigakure wasn't a powerful village, but more evidence showing that their enemies could build hidden bases near ninja villages was disconcerting.

At least Konoha would deal with that and not them, given their location. Han's appearance was a lucky streak. "We won't focus on that for now. It's a good thing you all came here relatively unscathed. Especially you, Han," Onoki stated.

The Gobi jinchuriki inclined his head. He came back to change the rumors surrounding his history and to obtain respect. Han had no intention of becoming a public hero. It just wasn't in his nature.

"Anything else happen while we were gone?" Kitsuchi tiredly asked.

His father's mustache twitched. "I know you want a rest, but we haven't been able to route a contingent of Suna-nin near the Spires. I would deal with it myself, but I'd rather not show my hand unless it turns into a big problem."

"Like it's doing now."

"Not quite," Onoki said. "We've been able to stall them, so they haven't completely pushed through our lines. You need to lead Deidara and the Explosion Corps through, considering you can defend them better than the others can. They'll help deal with this issue."

Kitsuchi sighed and rubbed his brow. "Give me a few minutes to resupply and I'll head out. Are the Corps already there?"

"Deidara will take you to where they're waiting," Onoki stated. Kitsuchi knew that his father had a small smirk on his face from saddling him with the youngest Explosion Corps member. _Again_.

"What about me?" Onoki turned to Han, stroking his beard as he did so.

"For now, I'm going to introduce you to some people. When Roushi is better, you two will help out with the guerillas near the border. If anything, I want your... strengths to cause more damage than simple hit-and-run tactics."

Han shifted from where he was standing, slightly uneasy at the prospect of meeting new people. It was as good as any time to make a neutral, non-hostile impression, though.

Kitsuchi left and Onoki floated up from his seat. He gestured to Han and the two left the tent.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's that. Some development, some action, and someone different from Naruto. Deidara isn't a missing-nin here. Please tell me if there are any inconsistencies, or if Kitsuchi and Roushi's personalities contradict canon or anything.<strong>

**Han was basically a blank slate, so I gave him a different set of skills. Also, since this story does not revolve around the Sharingan, the cave Han was staying at will not receive much attention.**

**Please leave a review if there are any errors or contradictions!**


	25. Blitz

**A/N: Here's my attempt at this. Tell me what you think, and please notify me if there are any continuity errors or typos.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-five: Blitz<p>

(Fire-Grass Border)

Mui sped through the forest, leading his forces onward. Despite how many of his comrades would end up dying in the proceeding battle, a smirk was pasted on his face.

After so many months of biding their time, Kusagakure's forces were ready to move forward. The timing was fortunate, for the additional troops granted to them by Orochimaru were becoming impatient and testy. They had already begun to head into the Land of Fire.

Ordinarily, heading directly into the Land of Fire was tantamount to suicide. Konoha's ninja were not lazy by any means; they dutifully patrolled the borders of their homeland as often as was possible. If suspicious individuals were caught by these ninja, they would quickly be detained and interrogated.

In addition, the transition from Land to Land occasionally warranted a station that double-checked all travelers, such as in the case of the Land of Rain. It wasn't always necessary, but the Land of Rain in particular had insisted upon one given their history.

Trespassers were always harshly dealt with. No one expected any less, given the paranoia ninja villages were known for.

However, Orochimaru had apparently come up with a way to subvert these defenses. It was part of why Kusa was launching an attack. It would be much more difficult to mount such an ambush if approaching forces were quickly recognized and prepared for.

"We're nearing the border," Mui barked to the ANBU member rushing alongside him. "Spread the message and slow down."

The ANBU, who was wearing a demonic mask, nodded in reply. The coded message was quickly passed along, causing the grand majority of the ninja behind Mui to slow down. Their leader jumped down from a branch and touched down upon the grassy soil.

He was waiting. Their... _help_, wasn't quite as fast. Or, rather, Mui didn't know if their help was that fast. The man was aggravatingly relaxed for a subordinate of Orochimaru, if a bit odd. Still, Kusa wasn't one to disregard additional firepower.

A soft thump told Mui that the man was finally there. "You look like you're really high-strung," the man said, rubbing his brow distractedly. "Don't worry too much; you'll get to enact your silly little revenge plot."

His carefree tone angered Mui, but Kusa's commander held his temper in check. "When can we move forward? Orochimaru said that you would know where the Konoha ninja are hiding." That too was related to the snake's supposed ability to shoot down patrols without alerting too much interest or caution.

Utakata, jinchuriki of the Rokubi, flashed the man he was working with a pleasant smile. He was wearing a long, light purple kimono that had a clear yin-yang symbol on the back. It was loose and open, exposing his chest to the open air. An odd, purple rope secured a strange bubble blower to his waist.

Although he didn't quite like the jinchuriki, Mui felt reassured by that smile. It was chilling how an accomplice of Orochimaru could accomplish such a thing. The smile itself didn't belong on someone who was associated with that snake.

That didn't matter, though. If he got what he wanted and led Kusagakure to glory in the process, Mui couldn't care less.

"Just wait a moment," Utakata continued. He smiled again as two Konoha-nin in chunin attire appeared in front of him. Their right hands were clenched in a fist and held forward, while the other was open and held up above their heads. "You two look very nice. It worked properly, then?"

One of the Konoha-nin, a burly, tall man, grunted. The voice was much more feminine than should've been possible. "We have to be careful when we're in their little camp. They have Hyuuga with them," he- or possibly she- grumbled.

The other Konoha-nin lowered his arms and scoffed. "Considering we're dealing with Konoha, that should be obvious." He was shorter and leaner, and his voice was much more _normal_ for his stature.

Utakata raised his hands in placation. "Now, now... we have important things to do," he cheerfully remarked. Turning to Mui, he said, "Let's go. The path is clear on both sides and these two know where the Konoha ninja are hiding. Both of you, drop the disguises. They'll only confuse us as we go on."

The two 'Konoha-nin' nodded and their skin began to melt and slough off. Disgusting-looking, white goo piled on the ground before vanishing into smoke. Oto-nin were revealed, both wearing standard gray uniforms and forehead protectors that showed their allegiance to Otogakure.

The Rokubi jinchuriki gestured onwards. "Lead the way," he politely demanded. Both of his subordinates exchanged glances before leaping away. Utakata, Mui, and the rest of the Kusa-nin behind them followed.

It would still take some time to reach where the Konoha-nin were staying. It was entirely possible that not every patrolling ninja could've been dealt with, so blatantly rushing into enemy territory was inadvisable. They had to take their time and watch for any additional threats.

As he jumped off of a branch, Mui turned to Utakata. "What was that technique those two were using? It didn't look anything like an ordinary Henge." Transformations weren't exactly difficult to discern, either.

"It's something my leader found on his travels. It's not quite perfect yet, but he believes the replication is good enough for his purposes," Utakata explained. "It can't be dispelled as easily as the Henge, but if a Hyuuga looks close enough, the differences will be quite obvious."

"What about the Sharingan?" Mui's lips twisted into a frown. Konoha's two vaunted bloodline limits were the source of many a village's jealousy. The added strength was quite palpable, too.

Utakata laughed lightly. "The Sharingan can only see through differences in chakra. The technique has the ability to mimic specific chakra signatures."

Mui nodded, feeling slightly impressed. The Byakugan could likely only see through the technique by peering into the user's body. Differences in structure would obviously be highlighted and the user would be attacked. The Sharingan couldn't do any of that.

"Ah, stop here, please." Another signal was hurriedly passed back, and the Kusa-nin all stopped moving. Most were fidgety and nervous, but Utakata expected as much given where they were. Being near a camp full of trained Konoha ninja was sure cause for that.

One of the ANBU turned to her commander, asking him a silent question that was quite easy to understand regardless of the mask on her face. While Mui hadn't been informed as to how they would infiltrate the Land of Fire, he did know some of Utakata's abilities.

The golden-eyed, pale man slowly brought his hands together. He seemed to be waiting for something, but his relaxed stance was too typical to actually reveal anything. After a few minutes, an extremely loud hiss rang in the air, followed by a slight tremor. Its originator was nowhere to be seen.

Utakata smirked to himself. He inhaled deeply and mentally recited the name of the technique he was using. Mui, the few nearby Kusa ANBU, and even the two Oto-nin backed away as a large amount of chakra began building around the jinchuriki. A slight red glow surrounded Utakata's body as he drew upon the power of his Tailed Beast.

After sharply exhaling, a thick, green, billowing gas blasted out from Utakata's mouth. It sped forward and everything it touched began to rot and disintegrate, a testament to the Rokubi's acidic prowess. However, powerful as the attack was, it quickly dispersed after Utakata closed his mouth.

"There is your path," Utakata declared. What was once part of a thick forest was now a large swath of land barren of trees or foliage. More importantly, a few frazzled Konoha-nin had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

The slight shimmer behind the Konoha-nin was picked up. Whereas Konoha ninja would be defending, the Kusa-nin would be attacking. For both sides, the encampment was the objective.

Mui grimaced. At least the rest of the forces were hidden behind him. He backed up and jumped into the nearby branches before moving forward, skirting the edges of the artificial clearing. Dutifully, his ANBU followed him.

**VvVvV**

(With Naruto)

Giant summons could cause a lot of havoc.

Naruto hadn't expected a giant snake to appear alongside the attackers. He and his currently assigned team were outside of the outpost- to the north- when they were rushed by ninja garbed in gray.

The reptile accompanying the new enemies had burrowed out of the ground and was notably aiming at his comrades, destroying much of its surroundings in the process. The screams of Konoha's ninja right before they were smashed into red paste made Naruto clench his teeth in anger.

The blonde wanted to help deal with the giant summon, but was instead instructed to stick with his cell and kill any enemy shinobi that were trying to cross into their camp. Incapacitation wasn't needed, especially with the large amount of attackers.

Rather than the expected Kusa-nin, there were more of those Oto-nin. They were mostly featureless drones, all eager to serve their village and wipe out their assigned enemies. It didn't take a genius to recognize the fact that they were unfortunately working alongside Kusa.

"How were we not alerted that there was a damned small army coming here?" Sanban growled. A brace of shuriken flew through the air, countering the set that was hoping to turn Sanban into a pincushion.

"We might have a traitor among us, or they've managed to intercept our scouts," Enjin suggested. He spun on his heel, deftly avoiding more deadly projectiles. He sprang forward from the balls of his feet and struck an Oto-nin in the chest with a finger.

Yottsu watched the man crumple and ducked, allowing the fist of an Oto-nin to soar over his head. The large chunin delivered a crushing punch to his foe's sternum, stunning him long enough for his throat to be torn out by a kunai. "All of our scouts, though? Some of them must have noticed something," Yottsu replied, scanning the area for more threats.

"I doubt all of our scouts are suddenly going to turn missing-nin," Naruto dryly added. Another Oto-nin joined the enemy he was fighting in an attempt to overwhelm him with numbers. Acting on instinct, Naruto grabbed the wrists of one of the surprised Oto-nin, blew a hole in his stomach with a close-range Water Fang Bullet, and threw the cooling corpse towards the other one.

Gruesome, yes, but effective in fulfilling his orders. Distracted by the corpse of his former comrade, the second Oto-nin was unable to avoid a pulse of condensed air that sent him flying into a nearby tree trunk. The loud, sickening crack made Naruto certain his foe was dead.

The four Konoha-nin were about to regroup and search out other targets, but were forced to jump away from each other as the tail of the giant snake came crashing down on top of them. Its head looked slightly damaged but otherwise, it was still fighting fit.

"I don't think we're going to be able to defeat that thing," Yottsu said, voicing his doubts.

The giant snake was still thrashing about, killing their friends and comrades without stopping. Its monstrous size was enough to render most attacks and techniques useless, and it was quickly moving onward to where the camp was actually situated.

Naruto growled. He leapt away from his team, much to their confusion, and landed on the grassy ground. Once he was sure no friendlies were too close, he ran through some familiar seals. Calling upon the necessary chakra he needed, Naruto yelled, "Summoning: Gamabunta!"

An explosion of smoke heralded the entrance of another large animal, its sheer size pushing the trees and anyone nearby away. Thankfully, Naruto had been pretty damn sure that there were no friendlies in his vicinity. He couldn't say the same for his unfortunate enemies.

Seriously, his superiors didn't want him to help take down the giant snake from the depths of the underworld that was currently on a warpath? Hell no! He wouldn't let death claim his comrades if he could make a difference!

"Brat! What's going on here?" Gamabunta boomed, shocking anyone who had seen the large plume of smoke. The large, sword-toting toad gave the area a cursory once-over, his demeanor beginning to darken.

"Sorry, boss! But we're being attacked and that huge-ass snake's going crazy!" Naruto answered from the top of the toad's giant head. "I can't just let that thing keep wrecking us!"

Gamabunta drew his large tanto and flexed his webbed fingers. "Jiraiya's going to want to hear about this!" Gamabunta grunted. He glared as well as he could towards the snake summon, who had decided that a giant toad was far better prey than a dozen smaller humans. "Come on! I've been meaning to get that damn wallet for years!" he bellowed.

As the toad boss leapt towards the snake, his tanto swung forward, intent on beheading the reptile. The snake, however, was far more agile. Using its powerful muscles, the serpent's body wavered and it slithered around the incoming attack, successfully evading the sword.

The long, serpentine body of the reptile circled the toad and coiled inward, but Gamabunta willed his massive body to jump up, away from the chance of constriction. While in the air, the giant toad threw his tanto like a throwing knife. It flew through the air, only barely missing the snake's middle.

With its prey seemingly disarmed, the snake lunged at the descending amphibian, jaws wide open. While the reptile was uncaring of its surroundings, Naruto and Gamabunta did not want to harm friendlies.

A quick scan showed that- hopefully- none of their comrades were in direct proximity. "Brat, help me out with this!" the toad rumbled.

"I gotcha, boss!" Naruto shouted back.

After hurriedly kneading chakra, Gamabunta intoned, "Suiton: Gunshot!" Due to the toad's massive size, the volume of water he spat out was similarly large.

Naruto's contributed a Great Breakthrough, accelerating the cannonball-like sphere of water and increasing its destructive potential. Gamabunta's aim was true, and the collaboration technique connected with the snake's gaping jaws, causing its upper body to violently jerk backwards.

Greenery was dislodged and kicked up as the snake crashed into the ground. It didn't stay still for long and rose up, hissing loudly as it did so. Collaboration jutsu or not, the serpent was pissed off.

As useful as it would've been for the Konoha-nin to help against the snake, interfering in a large-scale battle between two large summoned animals wasn't something anyone wanted to do. Not even the Oto-nin were particularly eager to try and take down the famed Gamabunta.

Instead, both Konoha- and Oto-nin focused their energies on taking down their enemies. That in itself was oftentimes difficult, because even though Gamabunta had blasted the giant reptile back, it kept getting up and mowing down part of its surroundings in the process.

Repeat attempts to beat the thing back down were met with far less success.

While Gamabunta and Naruto were more mindful of the area around them, the snake was indiscriminate. Trees, dirt, and shrubbery were dislodged whenever it lunged forward to try biting or constricting the boss toad.

Although Naruto was barely hanging on while Gamabunta frantically evaded the jaws, he was well-aware of the damage the snake was causing. Naruto didn't doubt that it had killed a few of its own and a few of its foes as it kept attacking.

Perhaps the snake had caused more damage than before?

No, definitely not. Without an assisting boss-level summon, or a wide-scale, powerful technique, the giant reptile would've kept on raging until it reached the encampment.

It was likely that all the inhabitants of the camp were fighting off the intruders. Had any Oto-nin gotten past them? It was too difficult to tell from Naruto's perch on top of Gamabunta's head, despite the fact that he was towering over some of the trees.

Gamabunta growled loudly as the snake burrowed underground. "Suiton and Fuuton techniques won't cut it, brat! You got any skill with fire?" the giant toad boomed.

"Explosive tags will do the trick, right?" Naruto couldn't really use Katon jutsu. The toad's massive head bobbed and both males prepared themselves for the resurface of the serpentine reptile.

If Naruto hadn't been secured to Gamabunta's head with chakra, he probably would've ended up being thrown off. The toad's sudden leap jarred Naruto's body nonetheless, moreso because the blonde hadn't been expecting it.

Gamabunta skidded away, his cheeks bulging ominously. A large amount of toad oil was spat at the snake, all of which was ignited by Naruto's thrown explosive tag. The blazing Toad Oil Bullet caught the snake before it could retreat and successfully set its scales on fire.

Blistering heat could be felt by the nearby ninja as the snake shrieked and writhed in pain. Much of the area had been reduced to wooden rubble due to the snake's thrashing and Gamabunta's evasive maneuvers. Their location was fortunate.

Finally, the snake fell. It collapsed in a giant, flaming heap, causing a great tremor as it hit the ground. It vanished a few moments later, charred skin and bones returning to its home realm.

Gamabunta grunted in victory before reaching for his fallen tanto. As his webbed fingers grabbed the weapon, his eyes widened.

A high-pressure stream of green, noxious fluid glanced off of Gamabunta's sword-arm. He growled loudly and shuffled back, staring down at his new wound. "Where'd this come from?" he boomed, clutching his arm in pain. "Brat, this thing's burning my arm pretty bad! I'm not going to be much help with a useless arm!"

"What?" Naruto worriedly squawked. Indeed, parts of Gamabunta's skin were already sloughing off. Whatever the liquid was, it was acidic enough to harm toad skin, and that spelled bad news.

Gamabunta gave him a short nod. "I'll tell Jiraiya what's going on. Don't you die on us! The battle's not over yet!" The boss toad then vanished, the smoke he had left behind quickly dissipating.

A theatrical sigh reached Naruto's ears as the blonde landed in the partially destroyed portion of the forest. Naruto turned in the direction of the sigh and saw a pale man with slick, dark brown hair.

"And that's enough of that. Can you please stop? Organizing all of this took some time, you know."

**VvVvV**

(With Fugaku)

Sitting on a lumpy chair and waiting for updates from scouts never really prepared a ninja for a sudden blitz. Even though Fugaku had served in the previous war Konoha had participated in, he hadn't ever held an actual position over a regiment of soldiers.

One moment he was enjoying his tea, thinking about when he would be able to return to his family, and the next, several of his ninja had appeared, stating that there was an emergency. Closer scouts had determined that they were being attacked on two sides.

Fugaku was not one to sit around and wait for his comrades fight and possibly die. Sure, there was always talk about how the Uchiha were selfish and stuck-up, but many of the senior Uchiha had changed that stereotype. The new generation, rebellious as they were, also helped smash it to the ground.

Besides, in a village such as Konoha, teamwork and camaraderie were strictly encouraged. The Uchiha were not exempt from that.

Brushing his suspicion and worry aside, Fugaku immediately headed out to confront and _destroy_ any Kusa-nin that thought they could attack Konoha's lands and get away with it. There were several reasons why Konohagakure was a force to be reckoned with, and her well-trained ninja was just one of them.

Many of the ninja under his command were trying to beat back the invaders. The camp's camoflauge- which helped its genjutsu barrier- was essentially gone, for some ninja had somehow reduced part of the surrounding forest to mulch. It was probably related to the large concentration of chakra the sensors had felt earlier.

With his Sharingan active, the Uchiha patriarch could easily make out the demonic masks that only Kusagakure ANBU wore. There weren't many of them, but the presence of ANBU was troubling. Chunin- even Konoha chunin- wouldn't do much against Kusa's ANBU-level ninja.

The scream of metal on metal rang all around him as his eyes took in what was happening. The clearing in front of him was largely avoided, with most of the fighting taking place in the large trees around it.

A earthen spike shot out of the ground, aimed towards Fugaku's chest. The Sharingan- oh how he loved how useful it could be- helped him anticipate and avoid the technique. Then, he swiftly retaliated.

A swirling funnel of fire swallowed Fugaku's attacker up, the flames smothering his scream of fear and pain. The blackened corpse fell to the ground, but nobody paid it any mind. Most ninja had their own battles to fight.

Whirling around, the Uchiha clan head parried a downward swipe of a kunai with his own. The demonic mask locked onto Fugaku's eyes and was immediately drowning in sorrow. With an illusion planted, Fugaku slit the ANBU's throat before moving on.

His sharp eyes could already see more Kusa-nin coming to either gang up on his defending ninja, or as simple reinforcements. Since there were even more ninja attacking from the north, there was a chance they'd get overrun.

That didn't paint a pretty picture. If they did get overrun, Fugaku would authorize the destruction of whatever couldn't be saved or packed away. Kusa would not get any spoils of war if he had anything to say about it.

Several more Kusa-nin were cut down or incinerated as Fugaku moved onward. Very few were actually ANBU and the rest seemed to be chunin-level, with some jounin possibly scattered about. Perhaps Konoha wouldn't be-

All of the air in his lungs was forcefully expelled as a strong kick impacted Fugaku's back. He was sent flying forward, off of the tree branch he had been crouched on. Disregarding his pain, the Uchiha patriarch stabilized his equilibrium and landed- horizontally- on a tree trunk, sticking to it with chakra.

A man in a black suit with long, swaying hair glared down at him. Fugaku was taken aback for a moment; hatred was very visible in the man's smoldering green eyes, but his twisted grin spoke of what could be seen as righteous indignation.

It was obvious that this man bore Konoha ill will.

"You must be their leader if you're skilled enough to sneak up on me," Fugaku said to him. Stroking his own ego wasn't something he usually did, but the man had technically gotten the drop on him, and Fugaku wasn't exactly weak in his own right.

The man sneered. "Not every commander needs to be skilled in battle. Tactical knowledge is more important," he replied.

Fugaku chuckled, much to the man's irritation. "This coming from the person who is willingly collaborating with a foreign, unknown nation?"

"It's a necessary chance," he admitted, a blade of hot fire forming around his right wrist and extending four feet outward. "Kusa will break free from Konoha's overbearing clutches and I will punish those who have wronged us."

There was a deliberate way the man was using that Katon technique. It tugged at Fugaku's memory. What was he trying to remember? The man did seem familiar...

Fugaku scoffed at his bluster. "As one of Konoha's ninja, I can't let you do that. Whatever you hold against us likely comes down to business, like it always does," the Uchiha pointed out.

Anger and revulsion flashed through the man's expression. "Business? You call the death of my son _business_?" he bitterly spat, eyes attempting to burn holes in Fugaku's midsection. "You Konoha ninja take what you want when it suits you. I will be happy to end you this day. I hope you and the rest of your fellow scum burn for the rest of your lives."

With that odd statement, the man sprang, his long cape billowing behind him. With grace befitting that of an Uchiha, Fugaku moved around the long, blazing sword as it sliced a deep furrow into the tree trunk. Fugaku's fist launched forward, towards the man's ribs.

The strike was avoided and then the man attacked again. Precise jabs of the blade were aimed at the Uchiha patriarch's lungs, kidneys, and heart. Each attack was analyzed and the trajectory calculated, allowing Fugaku to escape without incurring heavy injury.

The highly uncomfortable heat of the attack was still causing his skin to blister.

The swift jabs and the man's own evasiveness in close combat, coupled with the fire sword, caused Fugaku to recognize who he was dealing with. "So, I'm dealing with the Prison Master," Fugaku amicably said, ignoring the very real possibility of death. He ducked as the man swung the sword in an attempt to separate Fugaku's head from his shoulders.

The Prison Master- Mui, that was his name- narrowed his eyes. "I'm honored that someone as esteemed as the Head of the Uchiha can recognize me," he sarcastically remarked. His lips twisted into a feral grin. "Konoha will be quite saddened to hear that you didn't survive this battle."

Fugaku nearly snorted. Powerful as Mui was, he wasn't enough to kill the Uchiha head. "Kusagakure isn't exactly known for its high-rank ninja," he quipped. "But if you want, I'll humor you."

Mui scowled at the slight to his skills before lunging forward and engaging his enemy again. They had moved from the tree trunk and onto a nearby branch, striking and evading each other's attacks. It was an intricate dance, with both sides exhibiting a certain grace and finesse.

The Prison Master slashed diagonally downward with his burning blade. Fugaku twisted his body and delivered a low kick, trying to sweep Mui's legs from under him. Instead, Mui jumped over the leg and brought his sword back up.

Fugaku gave Mui the trademark Uchiha smirk as his hand caught the Kusa-nin's right wrist with surprising strength. The Prison Master growled and attacked with his left fist, which was also stopped by Fugaku's remaining hand. The Uchiha kneed Mui in the groin before releasing his wrists and roundhouse kicking him away.

After stumbling for a few moments, Mui forced himself to bat away the Uchiha head's incoming kunai. Once again, Mui's eyes were trained on Fugaku's chest. He didn't have time to compose himself and fought through the pain.

While his opponent was distracted, Fugaku clapped his hands together and spat out a series of wind bullets. Mui instinctively blocked with his bladed weapon...

...which was on fire.

The chakra weapon the Prison Master was wielding didn't explode or destabilize like Fugaku thought it would. Given the chakra being used to sustain it, the Uchiha wondered why that was so. Then again, he wasn't the greatest with Fuuton jutsu, and Mui was known for his skill in Katon jutsu.

"Surprised?" Mui taunted. He twirled his weapon around menacingly. Before he could strike, his gaze snapped to where another Konoha-nin, bloodied and panting, appeared next to her leader.

"Sir, the attacking summon on the northern side has been successfully repulsed due to Uzumaki Naruto's unauthorized help. However, there is... something else," she breathlessly informed.

Keeping his Sharingan active and locked on Mui's figure, Fugaku quietly asked, "What's going on?"

"Someone with powerful acidic techniques not known to be indigenous to Kusa has been cutting our ninja down. We have identified him as the source of the large concentration of chakra felt earlier."

"Where is he now?"

"He has dispelled Gamabunta-sama and is... _speaking_ with Uzumaki."

Both Konoha-nin were distracted by Mui's laughter. The man was perfectly content to allow them to discuss one of the instruments of their destruction, even going so far as to ignore the fact that Kusagakure had another enemy capable of summoning toads.

Fugaku's eyes narrowed, already knowing that Naruto could summon high-level toads. "Who is this person?" The ability to forcibly dispel a boss-level summon was impressive. It took a lot of power and skill to be able to do so. Whoever this man was, he was dangerous.

Why was he speaking with Naruto, though? That threw the Uchiha head for a loop.

"I suggest you find him," Mui advised. Although he would've liked to kill Fugaku, he had already killed his fair share of those mongrels, and would likely get another chance soon enough if Kusa decided to press their advantage.

The implication was clear. Additional Kusa-nin were jumping in to assist their leader, giving the Konoha commander a bleak outlook on the state of the battle. "Do you have a head count?" Fugaku lowly inquired, eying the new ninja warily.

"Negative, sir."

He grit his teeth. "We're going to find Naruto. Don't fall behind." A solid clone appeared next to him and jumped straight at Mui. Fugaku took a deep breath and jumped away, knowing that his clone would send the loud and flashy signal needed.

Mui cut the clone down. Before his ninja could follow, the clone violently exploded. Wooden shrapnel and intense heat blew Mui back, damaging his sword arm and launching a flare Fugaku had left behind.

Any surviving ninja knew what the signal would mean. It had been drilled into their heads when they were sent to the camp. In addition, that particular flare also meant that the camp was to be completely destroyed.

All Konoha ninja were to clear out.

It was frugal, yes, but necessary. Next time, they would strike back at the insolent Grass Village.

**VvVvV**

(With Naruto)

Now that the giant snake was taken care of, the Konoha-nin were having a much easier time defeating the Oto-nin. Some of the Sound ninja took multiple strikes to take down, but their overall ability was negligible. It was obvious that their standards weren't as high as Konoha's.

While those Konoha-nin fighting Oto-nin were still amongst the trees, Naruto was on top of the large amount of flattened rubble that he had helped create, directly across from the man who had forced Gamabunta to dispel with that nasty liquid.

"Who are you?" Naruto warily asked, his body tensing. His new foe bore no forehead protector, as far as Naruto could tell, but he was hostile.

Utakata gave Naruto a cheerful, friendly smile. "I'm Utakata and you're a pain in the ass," he conceded.

His demeanor could be seen as pleasant, but his words weren't. The style of clothing he was wearing designated him as being aligned with the Oto-nin. Still, Naruto couldn't help but grin at the fact that he had managed to annoy his enemy. "Yeah, I've been told I can be a frustrating guy," Naruto admitted.

The golden-eyed man tilted his head. "There aren't many teenagers who can call upon a boss-level summon and live to tell the tale," he remarked. "I find that to be very impressive. Now, who are you?"

"I don't think I need to tell you that. I'm not the most polite person around," Naruto cheekily replied, giving Utakata a lopsided smirk.

The Rokubi jinchuriki slowly blinked at that comment. Well, the blonde teenager across from him was certainly correct in that regard. Politeness had no place in a battlefield, after all. That didn't mean the blonde intentionally had to be rude, though.

Revealing his own name wasn't that big a deal. It was already known that he was a missing-nin. All the villages would do now was update his information to better fit the present. Besides, he was powerful enough to defeat any hunters that came after him.

Not that any would, of course. He could hide much too well and doubted that any hunter ninja wanted to take on the many Oto-nin Utakata usually had at his disposal. Being a jinchuriki was likely a large deterrent as well.

Utakata shrugged. "That's fine by me, Kyuubi jinchuriki," he nonchalantly said. He gestured towards his surroundings. "I do find it... _funny_ that you managed to cause this much chaos. It's not very surprising for a container, however young you are."

Naruto's fingers twitched. His claws were already equipped and he was preparing himself for a fight. "How did you know that?" the blonde cautiously asked. Unless he flat-out told other people about his secret, they wouldn't know. Konoha had kept that very well-hidden.

Again, Utakata shrugged. "It takes one to know one. Oh, don't make that face. It's not like the villages won't use the weapons at their disposal," he gibed.

The Kyuubi jinchuriki didn't say anything. Naruto's jaw was clenched and he was staring ahead with narrowed eyes. Perhaps, a few months ago, meeting yet another person like him would've been more shocking. Now, the container facing him down was just another powerful enemy.

A large, multicolored explosion went off in the sky- the retreat signal, as given by the regiment's leader.

"Keeping quiet, are you? Maybe I should teach you a lesson," Utakata pondered, glancing at the sky behind him. Pale hands deftly retrieved the bubble blower from where it was secured on his waist. "You've already lost, anyway. Shall we have a little fun? Ninja aren't exempt from that, are they?"

Naruto's mouth opened and closed before he collected himself. "Losing? Konoha? I don't believe that," he steadfastly stated.

"I can see your doubts. My little army has already killed a lot of their enemies." Naruto's expression darkened and the blonde bared his teeth at the former Kiri-nin. "Oh? Have I struck a nerve? Do you honestly care about Konoha's ninja?"

"They're my comrades and Konoha is my home," Naruto snarled. He pointed a finger at Utakata. "Of course I'd care about them! And all you've done is spread hurt and suffering!"

"No- well, yes, but what I've done was completely necessary. Do you truly believe that these people would ever see you as a person? To them, all you are is a means towards an end. In this case, fighting a useless battle in the hopes of expanding Konoha's influence."

"What? You're the one attacking!" Naruto sputtered in disbelief.

"Considering Konoha's history, I would call this an overdue claim. Not many enjoy being under the thumb of the great villages. All they do is abuse when it is suitable and cause harm to the people around them." Utakata smiled pleasantly despite the cynical tone he was using. "If anything, this is a way to change things. Maybe you should join us? We would be much more accepting than simple warmongers."

"_Join you_? Why the hell would I do that?" He was already becoming accepted and slowly gathering the respect that would help him accomplish his dream. Naruto couldn't just throw all of that away and start all over. It was counterproductive. Being part of Otogakure would make him a target for more hatred.

Within the confines of his mind, a few traitorous thoughts escaped. They reminded him of how everyone despised him, of how he was useless and worthless in their eyes. Naruto was only a jinchuriki to them, a weapon to be utilized whenever they saw fit.

"Finding unconditional acceptance is difficult for people like us. You and I, we're only going to be used for the power we hold within. My leader offers an alternative choice, one where we can fight for a future without the burdens placed on us by those warmongering villages."

They would respect him and tolerate him when he was useful, and then throw him away the moment he wasn't. Was that the real reason why everyone was so cordial to him at this outpost? If his loyalty to the village was guaranteed, they would have a powerful tool at their disposal...

"The moment you're unable to fight Konoha's enemies is when your body will have outlived its usefulness to your village. They will extract your Tailed Beast and leave you for dead. In the end, all they will see you as is a conduit for the Kyuubi's power."

So if he left, why would anyone care- wait...

"My leader does not see us as simple weapons. He will give you a grander purpose, just as he gave me. You will never have to fear betrayal by those closest to you."

"Naruto!" a voice called, breaking the blonde out of his thoughts. Utakata soured and brought his bubble blower to his lips.

Uchiha Fugaku landed nearby. Sweat was practically pouring from his body and he looked very pale. Red eyes scanned the clearing quickly before settling on Utakata. Behind the Uchiha patriarch were three beaten and bruised ninja.

"How annoying," Utakata drawled, furrowing his brow in irritation. "I was just getting to the good part, too." He sighed morosely and then began blowing bubbles. Many, _many_ bubbles.

Each of the bubbles was small and reflected the remaining light of the setting sun. They spread out around the clearing, picking a position and remaining stationary. With his eyes, Fugaku could see that each of bubble was maintained by chakra.

"We've gotta go, Uzumaki-san," one of the bloodied ninja tersely muttered. Naruto looked up to her and nodded, exhaling through his nose and glaring at Utakata.

"Of course you have to go. You're much more useful than the majority of Konoha's ninjas. Why do you think they're here to get you in particular?" Utakata chimed, sounding much too happy as he lowered his bubble blower. "All the great villages will do is bring you misery and pain. Why should someone like you stay with them?"

Naruto snorted. As enticing as leaving his village, friends, and father's place of birth sounded, he'd pass. Why would he deign to listen to an enemy who'd probably killed many Konoha-nin before jumping in to dispel Gamabunta?

He'd never betray Konoha. The idea was just too ludicrous, traitorous thoughts or not. "Sorry, but unlike you, I'm not a hypocrite. I'm not going to give up on the place I was born and raised in," Naruto declared, putting his fingers together in a familiar cross.

Ten blonde clones in a half-circle facing Utakata appeared, shielding their creator, Fugaku, and the three other Konoha-nin from the mass of bubbles.

"Hmph," Utakata scoffed, "you'll eventually realize that you're mistaken. Your misplaced faith will come back to harm you." The bubbles started to move, rotating around the area above Utakata. They gradually began to pick up speed.

"The villages protect their own. There wasn't any fighting until Sunagakure and Kusagakure decided to attack," Naruto shot back. "Suna is part of the five great villages as well, idiot!"

Utakata didn't reply. The blonde wouldn't accept any explanation, not with his comrades next to him and hostile, solid clones defending them. Suna attacked because it was dying and had no other alternative.

Kusa was easy to manipulate, but had also been harshly affected by the ambition of both Konoha and Iwa. It was one of the lesser ninja villages willing to retaliate, unlike Takigakure and Ishigakure.

The Rokubi jinchuriki pointed at the group of Konoha-nin, instructing the large amount of mobile bubbles he had created to begin diving towards them. Their composition would injure them quite easily if they managed to hit.

Naruto's clones didn't allow that to happen. While Naruto, Fugaku, and the other Konoha-nin were escaping, the clones fired off piercing blades of wind that popped the bubbles and rendered them useless.

Whenever a bubble popped, the liquid it was made up of ate through the ground where it landed. When the memories of the clones reached their creator, he decided it was a very good idea that he and his comrades had gotten the hell out of there.

Once the bubbles and clones were all gone, a nameless Oto-nin walked up to Utakata. "There are proximity-"

A loud, resounding _boom_ shake the very earth itself as smoke rose from Konoha's former camp. Whoever had been in the camp was as good as dead and anything worth salvaging was as good as gone. Materials, weapons, organic material... it was all destroyed in the blaze.

Fires began to burn, but were quickly put out in order to preserve the surrounding area. The fauna of the Land of Fire wasn't useless and some parts of it had strong medicinal properties. In addition, it was much easier to hide within the trees, regardless of what village the ninja hiding was from.

"The camp had proximity tags put up that were set to detonate when their leader got out of range," the Oto-nin tried again, "we're not sure who was caught in the blaze, but Mui and his regiment were careful."

"That's fine," Utakata replied. What were a few careless Oto-nin here and there? If they weren't smart enough to be careful, then they didn't deserve to continue being ninja.

"So now what?"

Utakata hummed in thought. "Reinforce this area. We need to keep it from Konoha and their inevitable counter-attack. It shouldn't be too hard, though. We have just proven that we can stand up to a _mighty_ village such as themselves."

The Oto-nin nodded before leaving to relay the instructions. Yes, they had just stood up to a national superpower. The success would make Konoha look bad, especially in the eyes of the Fire Lord, who was sure to be quite angry.

In addition, their victory- however minor it truly was- would also give Kabuto enough proof to complete his given task. Minor villages were useful, but they were still small and not as trained as the greats.

Another one of the five would be helpful. Very, very helpful.

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><p><strong>I hope this wasn't too bad. I've never really written something like this before. <strong>

**Utakata is meant to still be cheerful (Like his 'canon' personality) but he's become cynical as a result of his past, which is the same as in that anime filler with the exception of Orochimaru. So, he doesn't like the great villages.**

**Any questions, comments, concerns? Leave a review, please!**

**EDIT 1/15/13: Corrected an issue regarding Utakata's description.  
><strong>


	26. Progression

**A/N: If there are any continuity errors, let me know please. Read and review! Let me know what you think! This chapter kind of jumps around a bit, so...**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-six: Progression<p>

(The Land of Wind)

Blood-red eyes narrowed behind the veil of cloth that helped ward away the sand. The Land of Wind was mostly comprised of a desolate, scorching hot desert that ate away at one's resolve. It was nearly impossible to fathom how people could survive in such a place.

The climate differed as you went farther north or east, but for the most part the desert was undoubtedly difficult to traverse. Losing your body's water through perspiration was a big deal and that warranted careful use of drinking water to prevent dehydration.

To ordinary observers, the shifting sands would look the same in all directions. To ninja, especially those with extraordinary eyes, each subtle nuance was easily seen. Those with special eyes would know if even a grain of sand moved.

Examining everything was a headache. However, the observers would continue scanning the horizon for enemies. That was the reason why they had been assigned the mission. Advance warnings on Suna's movements were needed.

Konoha wasn't doing very well. Sunagakure's strike forces attacked swiftly and without any hesitation. Their targets were obvious, but that didn't exactly mean Konoha ninja could prevent the attacks. They needed more information.

Sasuke shifted underneath the large, beige-colored shawl that covered his body. It protected him from the harsh sunlight and also provided decent camouflage. Translucent goggles protected his eyes from the shifting sands, but overuse of the Sharingan was beginning to take its toll.

He wasn't like his older brother. Itachi could keep his eyes activated for hours on end, something Sasuke simply couldn't do. The younger Uchiha figured it would take some time before he could do the same.

Resisting the urge to remove his goggles and rub his eyes, Sasuke groaned to himself. He and the squadron he had been assigned to had been camping out in this damnable desert for days. So far, they hadn't been very successful in finding any enemy movement.

"It seems that you still need to learn patience, little brother."

Muted snickers were heard, but quickly silenced after Sasuke turned to glare at the ones who found Itachi's words to be funny. "I think I have every right to be annoyed at this," Sasuke grumbled. He was tired, sweaty, and his eyes were throbbing. The drastic temperature change at night wasn't as comforting as he thought it'd be, either.

Itachi stopped himself from frowning. Sometimes he forgot that his brother- and his brother's generation- had remained children for a much longer time than he. They hadn't really experienced war before, nor had they gone through sensitive, high-level missions that demanded patience and tact.

"Our orders are to search for any incoming enemies. Remember, little brother, that we're Konoha ninja first. We can head back once I believe we've gathered enough information," Itachi gently chided.

"We've been out here for a week and no one's come by in this sector. The others have probably already seen something," Sasuke irritably replied.

"I think we're lucky then," one of the team's members murmured. His voice was much quieter than Sasuke's. "There's movement up ahead," he whispered. The ninja's pale eyes were surrounded with bulging veins, the tell-tale sign of an active Byakugan.

"How many?" Itachi quietly asked.

The teenager who had spoken didn't immediately reply. Two other members of the team had their pale eyes trained on the horizon as well. Itachi and Sasuke were alert, but couldn't quite see as far out as the Hyuuga could.

Finally, after a minute, Hyuuga Neji began to speak. "It looks like another one of their strike forces, totaling eight in number. Based on what I can see of their chakra, I estimate the two in the lead to be at jounin-level, while the others behind are most likely chunin. One of the jounin has a war fan strapped to her back, while the other appears to be carrying a puppet. The chunin are not equipped with any trademarks."

"Direction?"

Another Hyuuga answered in place of Neji. "East, towards the Land of Rivers," he informed.

Itachi frowned underneath his the veil that covered his mouth. Eight Suna-nin, two of which were jounin of relatively unknown power. Puppets and war fans were fairly well-documented, both of which could be countered if one knew what they were doing.

Unfortunately, eight to five didn't give them great odds. As skilled as Itachi was, he didn't want to put his team in jeopardy. The chance of capturing and interrogating one of those eight Suna-nin wasn't that great either, especially if they were aiming to kill.

"Hold on, there's more," Neji quietly added. Itachi glanced at him, noticing that he was perfectly still. Hyuuga didn't need to move much at all to observe their surroundings. "There are two more groups with the same formation following a short distance away. I'm not sure if they're going to stop at the Land of Rivers or-"

"That's fine, Neji," Itachi interrupted. "Are there any that appear to be older than I or Satoshi-san? Their objective might be unknown, but we can at least follow them."

Uchiha Itachi and Hyuuga Satoshi were the oldest in the group, but Itachi was by far the most powerful. Neji could probably defeat his fellow clan member in direct battle, but Satoshi had more experience when it came to stealth.

"...The jounin in the following groups look older than you two."

Itachi grimaced. If the strike forces were comprised of teenaged chunin and younger special jounin, then they would likely have less experience with the sands around them. It would've made following them easier.

Regardless, they would have to go on, as per their orders. The desert was large and it was fortunate that they had managed to even spot the group of Suna-nin.

"Keep close to the ground and make sure they don't get out of range," Itachi instructed, rising slightly from the sandy dune he was lying on. "Satoshi, you take point. Periodically activate your Byakugan, reverse order."

Sasuke rose with his brother. The three Hyuuga members with them were to activate their eyes every few minutes and keep them active for twice as long. Satoshi would go first, with Hyuuga Takeshi second, and Hyuuga Neji last.

After taking a moment to stretch their legs and mentally prepare themselves, the group of five began to move. If it wasn't for the fact that Sasuke knew where his teammates were, he likely would've lost track of them.

All five Konoha-nin were nearly unrecognizable in their tan clothing and sandy shawls. Unless one was really focusing, an enemy wouldn't notice anything. Even then, it could be played off as a trick of the eyes- or perhaps a trick of the desert.

With the sun at its zenith, the strike forces weren't moving at top speed. Conserving their energy and their fluids was still crucial despite them having made the scorching desert their home. No human was completely immune to dehydration.

Sasuke quickly settled into the monotony of stopping and moving. That didn't mean he liked it any more than just watching the horizon, but he would keep formation. Every now and then he would flash his Sharingan around the area, but nothing suspicious came up.

Their path was straightforward. As the sun sank lower and lower, the temperature dropped. It reached a comfortable level- not too cold, nor too hot- which was likely due to them nearing the Land of Rivers.

Large sprays of orange and red entered the sky, signaling that the sun was falling below the horizon. Pretty soon, the clothing the Konoha-nin were wearing would be rendered obsolete, and the chances of being spotted would rise.

To prevent such a thing from happening, Sasuke, Itachi, and the rest of them were forced to slow down and increase the distance between their enemies. At least the traitorous ninja were speeding up.

As sand turned into earthy ground and grass, and dusty dunes turned into valleys, the two Suna strike forces trailing behind the first one drastically sped up. The first group that had been spotted first slowed down, allowing their comrades to bypass them.

Anticipating something wrong, Satoshi slowed down. Itachi allowed this and cut down on his speed as well, with the rest of the squadron following his lead.

Sasuke had expected something to happen. His heartbeat sped up and he tensed his body, but the Suna-nin merely split away from the other two forces. They could only go after one group and Itachi quickly decided to follow the one that used to be in the lead.

Eventually, the strike force stopped at a steep cliff face. It nearly went straight up and Sasuke thought that without chakra, climbing it would be extremely difficult. He, along with the rest of the team, had pocketed their goggles and discarded their shawls in exchange for greater mobility.

If a confrontation occurred, there would be no need to carry around objects that wouldn't be useful at all in their current environment.

One of the Suna jounin, the one with the fan, stepped forward. She looked extremely rigid from Sasuke's position and the ninja that were probably under her command were looking around in a possibly nervous manner. He couldn't really tell.

"Sasuke, we're leaving."

The low voice nearly caused Sasuke to jump, sudden as it was. His brother was always able to sneak up on him. Itachi's silent footsteps were something that contributed to his massive success in ANBU. They also contributed towards making Sasuke feel stupid at times.

"Why are we leaving?" Itachi's brother replied, just as quietly.

Itachi's blood-red eyes appeared to glow in the shadows of the foliage. The tomoe spun and then Itachi blinked. "This place is sensitive. We're already pushing our luck by remaining here. Let's go," he ordered.

His tone of voice left no room for argument.

For the most part, Sasuke just felt grateful for the slight reprieve he was getting.

**VvVvV**

(The Land of Rivers)

One of the jounin's ears twitched. The one with the blonde pigtails turned around, gazing at her surroundings suspiciously. She could have sworn she had heard something...

It might just have been the rushing river nearby, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she and her team had been being watched. The trees and bushes behind them would make an excellent hiding spot, especially for ninja seeking to spring an ambush.

Whatever it was, it was gone now. Temari placed her palm on the rough wall and pulsed her chakra. After a few seconds, she removed her palm and waited. When nothing happened, she began to get anxious.

Her father had forced her to memorize the sequence and she had done so diligently. As far as she knew, the code was correct.

Groaning and rumbling caught her attention as the stone wall began to sink downward. How it went through the soil without visible resistance was probably due to clever use of sealing or some other kind of contraption. Dust fell from the top of the opening, landing on the Suna-nin as they walked through.

Descending stairs greeted them and they continued onward, ignoring the musty smell the lingered in the air. Orochimaru's bases were scattered throughout the nations, sometimes hidden in plain sight, and sometimes hidden in places both ninja and civilian rarely visited. This particular base was of the latter.

Darkness was staved off by torches placed on the walls, providing just enough dim lighting to prevent any visitors from tripping over their own feet. Temari expected there to be cobwebs, but there weren't any.

Temari and Kankuro both took a deep breath upon reaching a wooden, sturdy door. They had passed a few of them as they walked down the long halls, but those had an unknown quantity behind them.

All of the Suna-nin present knew what was behind the door in front of them. Reaching a hand out, Temari slowly pushed open the door and strode in with purpose. She needed to get her orders from one of Orochimaru's generals.

The general that was looking over the Land of Rivers was a fair-skinned woman with light blue hair and dark eyes. She was wearing brown gloves and had a red turtleneck underneath her green dress. Her legs were crossed from her position behind the desk and she looked impatient.

A rather seedy looking man in a white lab coat was fidgeting nearby. He had graying hair and his brown eyes were flickering from the general to the new arrivals. His nervousness was probably due to the general's pointed scowl.

"Well, Kagaku? Has he progressed at all, or have your experiments been completely useless? Orochimaru-sama was generous to give you a chance, but I don't like having my time wasted, and neither does he," the general heatedly stated.

The man known as Kagaku cleared his throat. "W-Well, Guren-sama, so far we've had results with the binding, and he even seems to be able to suppress-"

Every ninja in the room, in addition to the scientist, jumped when Guren slammed her fist onto her wooden desk. A few papers lying about were disturbed, but nothing fell off the surface. She glared at the man in the white coat before slowly withdrawing her fist.

"That's not the issue. We're well-aware of that ability. Can he still _fight_?"

Certain individuals throughout the continent had... odd abilities regarding Tailed Beasts. Occasionally, one would pop up with the ability to suppress a certain Biju, or even emulate their abilities. Orochimaru himself had witnessed a monk utilize some leftover chakra of the Kyuubi.

Not to mention one of Kumo's closely guarded secrets in the Gold and Silver brothers. They both had to be at least partially related to the Senju Clan given how easily they incorporated Biju chakra into their bodies.

What Orochimaru was attempting to do was replicate the abilities of those individuals. He had tasked Kagaku with examining the cells of that particular monk, as well as those of another boy. One of the two was practically abducted, but the other male had gladly cooperated.

Infusing the ability into various test subjects had mostly yielded failure, but a few managed to survive the process. Most of those few, however, ended up frail and weak, completely unfit for life as a ninja.

There was an odd one out, though. This experiment was deemed somewhat of a success, with a body perfectly able to adapt to ninja life. Additional tests- with a willing guinea pig- had shown that the ability to suppress Tailed Beast chakra was beginning to manifest.

"Yes, Guren-sama. He is rapidly improving and Gaara-sama's help has been very useful in that aspect," the scientist replied with a bit more confidence than before.

Having more individuals with the ability to suppress Tailed Beasts would be immensely helpful. As useful as jinchuriki were, Orochimaru found them to be too much work, and Guren agreed with him.

Sure, Tailed Beast containers were magnificent weapons, capable of great destruction, but they were also a pain to convert or capture. Capture didn't necessarily remove their threat level either, for a jinchuriki could simply release their captive Biju and destroy the area in an instant.

Instead, Orochimaru had looked elsewhere.

Guren locked eyes with Kagaku, searching for any deceit, but found none. Anyone who wanted to attempt to betray Orochimaru would have to be half-crazy anyway. "Very well," she finally relented. "You may leave."

Kagaku bowed stiffly and left in a rush. Guren's presence could be suffocating at times.

The Oto general stared at the spot Kagaku had been standing in before turning to the Suna-nin that had watched the entire spectacle happen. She scrutinized them before grinning at the two Suna jounin. "So little Gaara-kun's siblings are reporting in? I didn't expect to see you two," she airily greeted.

"Yes," Temari replied in a clipped tone. "The others are already heading out to complete their assignments and we were told to come here."

Guren swept her eyes over the other Suna-nin. Six chunin and two jounin was quite the force, but she could tell that four of the chunin had originally been from one of her leader's many bases. Why else would Suna allow some of their higher-level ninja out, especially those closely affiliated with the Kazekage?

"Have you heard the news?" Guren asked, not quite ready to give her subordinates their orders.

Temari and Kankuro exchanged a glance. "Are you speaking of Kusa's victory?" Temari queried.

Guren gleefully nodded. "Those idiots are more useful than I thought. Or maybe Konoha is just full of shit." The general laughed, but no one joined her. "No doubt those tree-huggers will be focused on Kusagakure's success, so you'll all be taking advantage of that. You remember our failure in keeping that gold mine, right?"

Temari slowly nodded. Guren wasn't very specific, but Temari had read a report regarding the failure in capturing a useful gold mine that could've been used to fund war efforts.

"What you eight are going to do is capture the town nearby, otherwise known as Katabami Kinzan. The gold mine's gone, but the village itself has useful resources that we can use to secure a foothold before moving onward to the daimyo," the general informed.

Kankuro's eyes widened. "We're going to kill the _daimyo_?" he squawked.

A sharp look from Guren made the puppeteer snap his mouth shut. "Of course. How else are we going to establish dominance over this place? The other nations see it as nothing more than a buffer, or even just another place to exploit. When we take it over, we'll have an easier time attacking the Land of Fire."

At his nod, Guren's scowl morphed into a sardonic smile. "Unless, of course, you wish to object to such an action? I'm sure you of all people know how useful the daimyo are," she continued. Her grin turned genuine when she saw Kankuro quickly shake his head.

Making people squirm was fun. Why her boss didn't like doing that, she didn't know. Oh well, at least it was all geared towards the greater good.

"Now, look here," Guren said, picking up one of the papers nearby and smoothing it out. What appeared to be a slightly rumpled piece of paper was really a map that depicted various landmarks in the Land of Rivers. "See this? This is your target, the village, or town, or _whatever_, of Katabami Kinzan."

All of the ninja moved forward and scanned the map, committing the landmarks and locations to memory. It took a few minutes, but when they were ready, the Suna-nin stepped back.

"Got it? Good." The general shuffled the map to the side and looked back up at the ninja. "Why are you all still here? Get moving; there will be no resistance and the others are already attacking strategic points. Orochimaru-sama does not tolerate failure," she ordered.

One by one, the ninja departed, with Temari leaving last. She hesitated for a moment, but forced herself to keep moving. Once outside of the general's office, Kankuro gave her a questioning look. When she didn't respond, he asked, "What's wrong?"

The Suna kunoichi scowled at the backs of the chunin in front of her. Crossing her arms over her chest, Temari huffed. "I can't believe she's treating our brother like... like a tool!"

Kankuro didn't really know how to reply. Gaara used to be a monster, killing indiscriminately after he had murdered their uncle. It got so bad that the jinchuriki was willing to kill innocent civilians while walking through the streets of their sandy home.

But then, _he_ appeared. Like a wraith, Orochimaru walked into Sunagakure during a chill night and offered the Yondaime Kazekage an alliance. Promises of power and vengeance, amongst other things helped convince Suna's leader.

Gaara remained an isolated murderer, but was finally approached by one of the men- rather, a teenager- Orochimaru had brought along. The guy had walked in looking very sour, but was the only one who even attempted to approach Gaara.

That was when Gaara changed.

"Well... at least he's better than he was," Kankuro meekly replied.

Temari deflated and let out a morose sigh. She knew what Gaara was and what they were. It was all for the good of Suna, or so their father said.

"I just want our brother back," she muttered. Even if the last time they had really interacted was when he was a homicidal maniac, he was still family.

They never did see him anymore.

**VvVvV**

(The Land of Frost)

Kabuto was smirking, feeling very satisfied that his diplomacy had finally worked. After using a few choice sentences and showing how Konoha was isolated, the Raikage had finally relented.

The only issue was that they couldn't really attack Konoha without going through the Land of Frost first. Both the Raikage and Kabuto knew that the daimyo would refuse allowing Kumo to station troops in his nation. Whenever the great villages fought, the minor nations usually got the brunt of the damage.

The Raikage didn't really care about that, though. Kumo was very militaristic and the village itself was always trying to bolster its forces and build up its strength. Why give a damn about the bordering nations that were just there as an obstacle for other enemies?

In order to progress smoothly, Kabuto and some Kumo-nin were to infiltrate the daimyo's home. Then, they were to initiate _aggressive_ negotiations. Basically, corner the lord of the land and make him an offer he couldn't refuse. The Land of Snow would be useful leverage, too.

The Land of Frost wasn't as cold as one would've thought. Rather than being a frozen wasteland like the Land of Snow, Frost had much less precipitation. The wind was something else, though. It seeped into the bones, chilling one's soul and threatening to bestow a little, friendly gift of frostbite.

Thankfully, ninja weren't as susceptible to it.

Kabuto, whose body was obscured by a thick, dark purple cloak, turned to the Kumo-nin behind him. "Are you three ready?" he asked, lowering his voice in the darkness.

All four Kumo-nin behind him paused, but then quickly nodded. Three of the four Kumo-nin had cloaks wrapped around their bodies to ward off the cold wind, but the final one could simply warm up her body at will.

Kabuto turned away from them and grinned. How lucky was he that the Raikage actually let him take two jounin? The two chunin left something to be desired, but they were better than genin. It would certainly make the daimyo know that they weren't messing around.

His glasses gleamed as the lord's home came into sight. It wasn't large and magnificent like some of the other superficial bastards they were removing, but it still stuck out like a sore thumb. A few samurai patrolled the nearby grounds, but there wasn't really any heavy defender presence.

_Looks like even the daimyo knows that this land is practically worthless_, Kabuto thought in amusement. Glancing back at his supposed comrades, he said, "Samurai can't detect us as well as ninja can, so let's just go through those top windows." He pointed at a particular set of windows near the top floor of the mansion.

One of the Kumo chunin scoffed. She fixed her amber eyes on him and glared. "I think we know what we're doing," she harshly whispered.

Kabuto held up his hands in mock defense. "No need to snap," he replied, "but this requires a bit more finesse than someone like you may be able to exercise."

The kunoichi growled, but one of the other kunoichi cleared her throat. "Karui has more than earned her skill level, Kabuto-san. Just lead the way," she said, hoping to ease the tension.

"All right, then. Let's go, shall we?" Footsteps crunched in the frost-ridden grass before the ninja began to speed up. Karui was still pissed, but withheld her anger.

The daimyo's guards were too slow to detect their adversaries and the five ninja easily entered the mansion undetected. The inside of the mansion was not filled with the expected extravagance, but it was well-furnished and was obviously quite warm.

The Kumo-nin's escort seemed to already know his way through the mansion, leading them through halls and doors without slowing down or alerting anyone. Either that, or he had no idea what he was doing and was just incredibly lucky.

Eventually, they came up to a double-door that was slightly larger than the ones they had previously encountered. Kabuto put his ear up to the wood and listened. The bespectacled man grinned and backed away. "Are you all ready? He's not sleeping right now," he informed.

One of the Kumo kunoichi narrowed her eyes. "Are there any other targets in the room?"

"You must be joking. Like the majority of the so-called nobility, he is a shameless womanizer." The kunoichi present frowned in distaste. "Ah, don't worry. His mistress is sleeping, but he's still awake."

"How can you tell?" Karui sourly questioned.

"I have my ways," he answered, not willing to divulge anything about his skills. Turning to face the door, Kabuto grabbed the handle and soundlessly shoved the door open, revealing the daimyo's fairly ordinary bedroom.

The lord, who was sitting in his bed and reading a book, jumped at the sudden intrusion. "What is-"

_Thunk_. A kunai was embedded nearby, causing the man to pale and wisely clap his mouth shut. With wide eyes, the daimyo looked over his assailants. All of them were easily recognizable, having not bothered to hide any of their more defining features.

While Kabuto's forehead was bare, the daimyo easily recognized Kumo's distinctive symbol on the other four ninja. Although he didn't speak, his hard stare was more than enough to convey his silent question.

"You look surprised, Rai-_sama_," Kabuto mocked, sneering slightly at the man. The lord's short brown hair was slightly disheveled, but the man kept his green eyes trained on the ninja in front of him.

When it became clear he wasn't going to speak, Kabuto continued, "I suppose you're wondering why we're here?" The man, known as Rai, slowly nodded. "The leaders of both Otogakure and Kumogakure have decided to give you a little offer. A proposal, if you will."

Finally, the man spoke. "What about?" he whispered. His mistress hadn't awoken yet.

A hand swept through Kabuto's white hair and the ninja chuckled. "The Land of Fire has long been a source of irritation to the other villages. It's large enough to impose its will on smaller nations and strong enough to escape unscathed from conflicts it instigates. Recently, my master has been able to weaken it, and now we have a chance to further attack its borders and the country itself.

"Your pleasant neighbor, the Land of Lightning, has agreed to join my master's village- Otogakure- in its conquests. However, the issue here is that you're in the way. In order to continue onward, we need to be able to garrison troops here. Traveling through a country like this every time we want to initiate an attack would be quite troublesome, wouldn't it?"

The daimyo narrowed his eyes. "And if I refuse to allow this? The Konoha ninja are not the ones that are breaking into my home in the dead of night," he accused.

Kabuto idly gestured and the sound of scraping steel rang in the room. That finally woke the woman next to Rai, who nearly screamed at the scene in front of her. Three of the Kumo-nin drew swords, but the final one took out a kunai.

"In the end, it won't make much of a difference," Kabuto airily said. "The only true difference is whether or not you will remain in possession of your life. Otogakure has never really taken a liking to your kind, after all. The Raikage has no qualms about deposing you, either."

Taking a look at the quivering woman beside him, Rai sullenly cleared his throat. "Say I allow your troops to stay in my country. What happens then?"

"Nothing. You remain alive and free, so long as you allow us to come and go. My master's men- and my subordinates- will accompany Kumo-"

"That won't be necessary," one of the blonde Kumo kunoichi flatly interrupted. "Although we accompanied you here, Kumogakure is more than capable of fighting without help."

Although the Raikage had decided to grab at Konoha's weakness, he didn't really trust his allies. The denizens of Otogakure were mostly shrouded in mystery, with different reports detailing their abilities throughout the nations.

Just because they were allies didn't mean Kumo trusted Otogakure. In addition, the Raikage had full faith in his ninja. They wouldn't need nor ask for help like the weaker Sunagakure did.

Kabuto chuckled and pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Of course, Yugito-san." He turned back to the daimyo. "Well? What is your answer? You should choose quickly, because we can be very impatient in times of war."

Rai swallowed, gazing at a smirking Kabuto, followed by the four Kumo-nin, and then finally, his mistress, who was still looking very afraid and confused. The woman, who had frazzled, pale hair, met his eyes with her own, pleading expression.

Shinsei Rai gave the ninja in front of him a resigned, grim nod. It was pointless to refuse; he was just an ordinary human compared to the five ninja in front of him, and the one with the glasses had made it quite clear that Frost would be occupied either way.

Better to stay alive than not. He still needed to _secure_ his heir, too.

Kabuto clapped his hands together, his smirk turning into a wide smile. "Excellent, Rai-sama! You won't regret this. I'm sure your citizens would jump at the chance of an easier livelihood."

Rai grunted. "Leave me be. I've already agreed and now I'm practically a hostage in my own home," he muttered. The woman next to him put a hand on his arm.

The bespectacled ninja bowed, albeit mockingly, to the lord of the Land of Frost. "Of course, Daimyo-sama. My master will notify his allies about this and we will begin to move out immediately. Who knows? Perhaps you'll benefit from this decision," Kabuto said. He turned on his heel and began to walk out.

"Wait! What about the guards?" Rai called out.

Kabuto laughed. "That won't be a problem. Just be sure to announce your decision in the morning. If you don't, well... my master would be very disappointed." The five ninja stalked out the door and vanished into the evening.

That was much easier than they had thought.

"Are you all right, Rai-kun?"

"I'm fine," he snapped. His mistress' worried eyes didn't leave his and he sighed. "I didn't really want this land to be dragged into another one of those ninja conflicts, but I guess I have no choice in the matter."

"As long as we leave them be, I'm sure they won't harm us," she softly reassured.

"I hope so," he replied, not sounding sure of himself in the slightest.

**VvVvV**

(Konohagakure no Sato)

Itachi steeled himself before knocking on the door to the Hokage's office. Upon receiving confirmation, Itachi turned the knob and walked into the room. Like always, it remained as it had been the last time the Uchiha had visited. The pictures of the past Hokage were on the wall and the grandfatherly Sandaime was mildly sitting in his seat.

Although the presence of the Hokage's advisers wouldn't have been surprising, Jiraiya's appearance was rather confusing. If he was there, then Itachi might have interrupted something even if he was simply walking in to give a scheduled report of what he had seen.

"Itachi-kun," the Sandaime greeted, inclining his head towards the former ANBU captain.

The young man bowed. "Hokage-sama," he politely replied. His eyes strayed to Jiraiya, who was nonchalantly watching him. Based on the man's scowl, he might have been discussing something sensitive with the Hokage. The information the Uchiha had was important, though.

"You're back so soon? I didn't expect your team to find very much evidence of Suna's movements, especially in their desert," Jiraiya said, not offering much of a greeting.

"We didn't," Itachi stoically replied. "Instead, we tracked three teams that were leaving the country and heading into the Land of Rivers."

Hiruzen cocked his head, giving Itachi a questioning expression. "What were they doing there?" he asked.

"Two of their teams went off to parts unknown, but the one we were tracking entered what I believe was a base hidden in a mountain. I could see the chakra used to enter the base with my eyes, as well as the chakra coursing through the entrance," Itachi explained.

"Wait, did you just say _in_ a mountain?" Jiraiya exclaimed, looking more thoughtful than he sounded.

Hiruzen sent a stony look towards Jiraiya before returning his attention to the young man. "Itachi, where did the other two teams go, and why did you not attempt to continue tracking them?"

"I didn't want to compromise my team, sir," Itachi bluntly replied. The Hokage knew his little brother was on his team and would obviously realize why Itachi wouldn't be as willing to split his team apart to pursue the Suna-nin.

Hiruzen chuckled, but adopted a more serious attitude directly afterward. "Were you spotted?"

"To my knowledge, we were not. One of the Suna jounin might have noticed our presence, but we were not followed, nor was any alarm raised."

"Location?"

"About half a kilometer southeast of the Futai River," Itachi said after a moment of thought. The Futai River was the second largest river that was within the country. It didn't lead out of the country, but joined the largest river instead.

The Hokage hummed in thought. "All right. Good job, Itachi," the Hokage praised. Again, Itachi bowed and muttered his thanks. "Before you leave, we have another mission for you," Hiruzen added.

The Hokage was not apologetic for that. Konoha's ANBU were more than equipped to take difficult, back-to-back missions, and Itachi was one of his best. What he _was_ apologetic for was the fact that Itachi had lost his chance at a normal life long ago. But, the past was the past and there was no way to change it now.

Fugaku's firstborn had ended up as a respectable young man regardless. Young Sasuke was heading down that road, too.

"What is the mission, Hokage-sama?" Itachi asked, awaiting further orders.

Jiraiya grunted. "I guess he'll be accompanying us? Fine," the hermit said. A grin materialized on his face as he faced Itachi, keeping his arms folded over his wide chest. "Uchiha Itachi, how would you like to come with me and a few other ninja and scout out some of Orochimaru's bases? Since you've already found one, I figure we can take you instead of Shisui."

Itachi was silent for a moment. "Who will be going?" he asked.

"Oh, you know... me, you, Uzumaki Naruto-"

"Am I correct in assuming that he is still somewhat irked at Shisui's actions and I am serving as a replacement?"

Jiraiya's lips crinkled into a frown. "As childish as it is, Naruto is indeed still irritated at Shisui's actions. I don't blame him; he doesn't have the full story. Regardless, we need a person to help restrain the Kyuubi since I'm going to be training Naruto in using its chakra, and you're one of the most prodigious genjutsu users among those in your clan."

A knot settled in Itachi's stomach. Sasuke had told him before that Naruto hated using the Kyuubi's chakra and so far, had avoided using it in the war. As a result, the blonde had thought himself to be less a weapon a more an ordinary ninja of Konoha.

Naruto had tried to make others see him as an ordinary person and it was working. Many people treated him with some modicum of respect and the chunin vest he wore symbolized how far he had gone.

The Uchiha shifted uneasily. "I don't like this," he quietly declared, "it doesn't seem wise."

"I wouldn't expect you to," the Hokage admitted. "Forcing a jinchuriki to use the power that is sealed within has generally been known to be a risky venture. However, at this point, we have no choice."

Jiraiya nodded. "With Kusa's success and Suna's resilience, we're having trouble. We need a weapon, and fast."

"What about you?" Itachi queried, looking meaningfully at the hermit. "Jiraiya-sama, you _are_ a well-known, powerful ninja."

The man in question snorted. "Maybe against regular ninja, but jinchuriki aren't regular ninja. Kiri's missing container is on the enemy's side for some reason and is willing to use his Beast's powers. Suna also has their own jinchuriki, one we haven't even seen being deployed yet."

"Kumogakure is also likely to attack us, if Jiraiya's sources are to be trusted," Hiruzen grimly added.

Itachi recoiled, showing more emotion than he was conditioned to do in front of his superiors. "_What_? We're being attacked by another major village? How is this possible? Why-"

"Calm down," Jiraiya rumbled. Itachi visibly took a breath. "A few months ago, Amegakure and Konoha entered into a hidden alliance. So far, very few people know about it, and this advantage will help us fight off Kumogakure's forces. Finding out where Otogakure's hidden bases are will help our cause as well. We aren't down yet."

"Naruto's cooperation will benefit us greatly," the Hokage said. He put his pipe in his mouth and took a quick puff. "While I am not particularly willing to hurt him, the time has come for him to step up. The ninja all around him are doing their jobs, and I expect him to do his."

"Are you sure he will accept?"

"In order to protect his comrades, I believe he will. The Will of Fire burns brightly within him," the Hokage said, smiling wryly at Itachi.

Itachi sighed and closed his eyes, resisting the urge to rub his forehead. "Where exactly are going?"

"South, to the Land of Sea," Jiraiya answered. "I've recently discovered evidence of one of Orochimaru's bases that may or may not still be in use. You can already detect chakra with those neat-o eyes of yours, so getting in should be easier."

"Instructing Naruto on the use of demonic chakra won't be safe outside of the village," Itachi muttered.

"On the contrary, I believe it is better to be in another area should he lose control," the Hokage said.

If Naruto lost control of the Kyuubi in Konoha, the results could be disastrous. Outside of Konoha, or even in an enemy facility, the destruction could be channeled towards more constructive purposes- at least, for Konoha.

"All right," Itachi replied, nodding in understanding.

"Off with you," Jiraiya lightly said. "I'll send over a messenger toad when we're ready to leave the village. I've got to go pay Naruto a persuasive visit."

The Uchiha bowed again and left. He had wanted more information on their alliance with Amegakure, but he had faith in the Sandaime Hokage. An alliance with Ame felt... alien. After all, the Amegakure the world knew watched its borders like a hawk and had an extreme isolationist policy.

Well, the nations were always changing.

* * *

><p><strong>And done. Sorry for the delay, I've been kind of busy. I also apologize on how this chapter jumps around. I wanted to get several things going. Next chapter, Naruto is revisited and will do something other than full-scale battles. How will Naruto react to being forced into using the Kyuubi's chakra?<strong>

**Let me know what you think!**


	27. Tense

**A/N: Please read and review and let me know if there are any errors. Tell me what ya think, please!**

**Hashirama is hilarious.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-seven: Tense<p>

Tenten watched with mild interest as three Naruto's furiously scribbled a series of symbols and notes onto several pieces of paper. All of them wrote perfectly and with fluid grace, the outdoors not disturbing them in the slightest. Even the incessant tweeting of a nearby bird wasn't jarring their concentration.

"All right, I can't stand this anymore," Tenten announced. She leaned forward, closer to where one of the Naruto's was seated. "What are you writing and why does it look like gibberish?"

All three Naruto's ignored her until she began to poke one of them repeatedly. Finally, she got a grunt of acknowledgment. "Sealing," one of the blonde chunin quickly answered.

"I know you're writing down seals," Tenten exasperatedly said. "What I'm asking is what those symbols mean and why you're doing this outdoors." She waved her hand around the grassy clearing. "Wouldn't this be easier inside your apartment or something?"

One of the Naruto's sighed and rose up from the papers and ink bottles. He groaned as he stretched, feeling his bones pop back into position. With a withering glare sent in the direction of the papers, Naruto walked a few steps over to where Tenten was sitting.

"It would be easier with a table, but it's a nice day today," Naruto replied, gesturing up towards the clear blue sky and the shining sun. "How else am I supposed to figure out the answer to this sealing problem? I need inspiration, you know?"

One of the two Naruto's still sitting down groaned loudly. "Boss, can we take a break? My body's aching!"

Naruto shrugged and dispelled his clones with a ram hand seal. Brush strokes and seal designs entered his thoughts, giving him a slight headache in the process. Rubbing his head, Naruto began to pick up his brushes, papers, and ink bottles. No use in leaving behind what could be seen as trash, right?

As she watched him shuffle papers away, Tenten smirked at his expression. "You look like you need some stress relief. Staring at a piece of paper all day can't be that fun, can it?" she quipped.

"Writing and studying seals _is_ my stress relief," Naruto replied. He scowled at the grass where his materials had been strewn about. "I just can't figure out how to answer this damn question."

"And why not?" Tenten asked. Sealing was in Naruto's heritage- or so he said. Granted, it was bound to be difficult if the notoriously low amount of ninja who pursued to sealing arts were anything to note.

"Seals can do a lot of things," Naruto began, "such as affecting how your muscles act, transporting objects from one location to another, and even screw up the chakra coils in your body. What I'm trying to figure out is if I can store chakra and release it for later use."

"Something like a glorified soldier pill? Or maybe those other pills that are going to be put into production soonl?"

The special water given to Konoha by Taki had led to some results in the form of a more potent soldier pill. It was better than its weaker sibling in a pinch, but repeated use wore out the body quicker. Regardless of that minor drawback, they were being produced and would soon be distributed to responsible Konoha-nin who were ready for it.

"Kind of, but without the pain and weakness that comes after the boost is up," Naruto said. "I mean, it should be possible based on how chakra works, but I haven't had any luck yet."

"I think you should see if your chakra can actually be stored, first. It might just be your chakra and not the seals you're using," Tenten suggested with a shrug.

After sealing the materials away, Naruto plopped down on the grassy soil next to his friend and gave her a cross look. "How am I supposed to do that? What can store chakra?" he muttered.

After a few seconds, when she didn't stop staring at him, Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably. "Uh, Tenten? Could you stop staring at me like that? It's kind of, uh, creeping me out." The kunoichi didn't stop, but a wide smirk appeared on her face.

"For someone who studies the sealing arts, you really ignore what's in front of you, don't you?" she said, sounding very amused and giving Naruto's stomach a pointed stare.

The blonde teenager blinked and then grimaced, suddenly realizing what she was referring to. Tailed Beasts were all massive reservoirs of chakra that were sealed within living beings, or in some cases inanimate objects.

What ordinary chakra did not have was a conscious. That was probably why the large Biju could be locked away into a person or an object. However, using a Biju's chakra to rejuvenate people probably wasn't a smart thing to do, and it brought him no closer to his goal or to answering his problem.

At least he knew a _type_ of chakra could be stored, albeit not in sealing scrolls.

"I'm not sure sealing some of the Kyuubi's chakra into a scroll is smart," Naruto slowly replied.

Tenten snorted. "If you say so. I think you're more informed on things like this anyway." She shrugged again and rose from her perch, taking a moment to bounce on the heels of her feet as she did so. "You up for a spar? I need some target practice since Gai-sensei's not in Konoha."

The blonde chunin jumped up, scowling at Tenten. "Hey, hey! I'm not a pincushion, here! What about that Hyuuga teammate who had a stick up his ass? And... and what about Fuzzy-brows?"

The kunoichi snickered at what Naruto called her teammates. "Neji's resting from his mission and Lee's been deployed to scout out some place. Besides, your clones are always such great target practice..."

"Just for that, I'm not going to use my clones," Naruto shot. He folded his arms and frowned. "I need to get faster anyway. No use in learning a bunch of techniques if I'm too slow to use any of them, right?"

Tenten's response was a point-blank kunai aimed at his thigh. With a yelp, Naruto pivoted and jumped back to avoid the incoming barrage of steel. While the kunoichi hadn't quite been promoted to a chunin yet, her aim was still prodigious and her speed with weapons incredible.

Several steel knives nearly pierced Naruto's unguarded legs and arms. His friend was aiming for areas not covered by his chunin vest and she was usually pretty damn close.

Fortunately, Naruto could slip away from her attacks easily enough. Unless Tenten decided to shower him in metal objects, her attacks could be evaded.

"Ha! You sure you don't need a breather, Tenten? I don't see you- ouch!" Naruto rubbed his shin, glaring at the girl who had successfully landed a blunted kunai on him. All she gave him was a wink before throwing more and more blunted steel.

Eventually, the training area was littered with blunted weapons. Tenten's increasing frequency of attacks eventually led her to run out of ammo despite her seemingly bottomless kunai pouches. A thin sheen of sweat coated her body, but she wasn't breathing heavily.

"Help me out, Naruto," Tenten called, slowly beginning to pick up and stow away her assortment of pointy objects. With a grin, Naruto created a plethora of clones, all of which began to assist the kunoichi.

As they were cleaning up their battlefield, a loud, obnoxious laugh hit their ears. Naruto recognized the voice, but Tenten quickly grew annoyed at the laughter. "Who's there?" Tenten grumbled in irritation.

A tall man with long, white hair and a recognizable, flamboyant getup jumped down from a nearby tree. "That was a funny little spar for two brats," Jiraiya cheerfully remarked.

The older of the two younger ninja frowned at the man, but her eyes widened when she realized who he was. "W-Whoa... you're Jiraiya-sama, the most powerful ninja Konoha has aside from Hokage-sama!" Tenten stuttered in disbelief.

"Hey Jiraiya-sensei," Naruto greeted, stifling a snicker at Tenten's reaction. "Do you believe me now? I told you I knew him."

"I believed you, but it's just... it's Jiraiya-sama!" she weakly defended. When Naruto had told her he had met and trained under Jiraiya of the Sannin, she had been dubious, and she didn't regard his sealing experience as complete proof. The Rasengan might've worked, but Jiraiya hadn't actually been the one to teach Naruto that particular technique.

"Nice to meet ya, girly," Jiraiya said. "Nice to see you too, brat. I see you're still trying to better yourself. That's good, because I can still pound you flat with my eyes closed."

"Gee, thanks," Naruto deadpanned.

Shrugging off Tenten's slight ire, Jiraiya walked over to Naruto and slung an arm over his shoulders. "Well, you've been assigned a mission by the Hokage. You and I, as well as two other ninja, are going to head to the Land of Sea for a little reconnaissance, and maybe a bit of demolition."

Naruto looked up at his teacher, raising an eyebrow. Although he was inwardly excited at being able to participate in the war again and help out his village, he wasn't sure what his sensei meant.

Tenten verbalized Naruto's thoughts. "What do you mean by reconnaissance and demolition?" she asked.

Jiraiya peered at her before pulling Naruto close and dropping his voice to a whisper. "Brat, I'm glad you chose a girl, but you shouldn't always go with the dumb bimbos-"

"Jiraiya-sensei, please stop," Naruto sighed. Jiraiya's habits regarding women were amusing at first, but now Naruto found them to be a nuisance. He wasn't a pervert, damn it! Uzumaki Naruto was very respectful to women, civilian and kunoichi alike!

"Aw, you're no fun," Jiraiya said with a pout. It appeared odd coming from the older man, but somehow still worked on him. "There are enemy bases that Konoha has found are stationed in the Land of Sea. Removing these bases and securing intelligence is our priority."

"Oh," Tenten quietly said. She began to back away. "I guess I should be going then-"

"Actually," a low, flat voice announced, "you're been assigned this mission as well, Tenten-san." Like a hidden ghost, Itachi walked into the clearing, clad in gray pants, a blue shirt, and a tough vest. Naruto thought it was strange on him since he had never seen Sasuke's older brother in such an outfit.

Tenten eyed the newcomer, tensing up slightly at not being able to detect the slightly familiar man. "Why am I coming along and who are you?" she asked.

Uchiha Itachi inclined his head. "I apologize. I am Uchiha Itachi, jounin-level shinobi of Konohagakure. The Hokage recommended you accompany us based on your relationship with Naruto-kun here," he explained. Tenten turned to Jiraiya for confrontation and the hermit nodded affirmatively.

"She's coming along because we're friends? Why not just ask Sasuke or Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned curiously. "No offense, Tenten," he quickly added.

"I believe Sakura has been sent to Amegakure with a few other ninja, whereas my little brother is sleeping from his recent mission."

"I knew you looked familiar!" Tenten exclaimed with a snap of her fingers, ignoring Naruto's previous comment. "You're in ANBU, aren't you?" Again, Itachi inclined his head, but didn't reply.

"You can ask him silly questions once we get going," Jiraiya interrupted, aware that the two youngsters already had knowledge on Itachi. "Go pack for a few weeks. Meet Itachi and I at the front gates, and don't take too long. Chunin-" he gave Tenten a stern glance, "-are punctual."

The two younger ninja exchanged glances before quickly heading off to prepare themselves. Itachi watched them go, his neutral visage turning to face Jiraiya's stern one. "Jiraiya-sama, why did you not inform Naruto of the other objective we were given?"

Jiraiya scowled and rolled his eyes. "Once we're on the road and away from Konoha, Naruto won't try to shut himself away from me. It's not like he can refuse the mission, but I'd rather not watch him attempt to get his way. It won't happen and all it'll do is waste time."

"He can still act like that while we're traveling," Itachi noted.

"No, he definitely won't," Jiraiya corrected. "Naruto knows the importance of the mission, especially one like this. I doubt he'll like it, but he won't throw a fit."

Itachi began to walk away. "If you say so," he softly replied.

Hopefully Naruto would understand given the gravity of the situation, especially with the impending attack from Kumogakure.

**VvVvV**

(The Land of Fire)

Once Naruto and Tenten were ready, the party of four set off, heading south at a high speed. Jiraiya had mentioned that he wanted to get to the places where the supposed bases were located as soon as possible.

It took them a few hours to reach the southern harbor town, but they eventually did so and managed to secure a ship to the Land of Sea in the process. Jiraiya's fame ended up being useful and they were able to set off even when the sun disappeared below the western horizon.

As the ship bobbed up and down in the slightly choppy waters, Naruto and Jiraiya were sitting opposite of each other on the primary deck. A nearby lantern illuminated the area and warded off the darkness, allowing the two ninja to see.

With the course of the ship set towards Mother Island, the captain and his sailors had decided to turn in. The Konoha ninja were instructed to notify them if anything bad happened.

Itachi was standing near the wooden railing, peering off impassively into the churning waters. Tenten was standing on a different part of the deck, juggling kunai. That particular trick had amused the sailors, but now she was doing it just because she was bored.

"Are you sure you don't want help?" Jiraiya lowly asked, gesturing to the nearby scroll lying on the wooden floor.

The hermit's pupil shook his head. "I don't want to rely too much on other people. How am I supposed to make a name for myself if all I use are the techniques and methods of other people?"

Jiraiya gave him an exasperated expression. "Brat, every ninja has some kind of technique that was taught or passed down to them. What makes a ninja truly powerful is taking what they've learned and advancing it. Look at the Rasengan, for instance. It's seen as one of the Yondaime's signature jutsu, but I've made myself well-known for using it."

"You were already well-known!" Naruto protested.

"Probably," Jiraiya said with a shrug, "but I've also modified some of my teacher's techniques and my old pupil's techniques to better fit my fighting style. Remind me to show you my Ultra Big-Ball Rasengan, by the way. I can't use it here or else I might blow us all up."

"Ultra Big-Ball Rasengan? Sounds lame," Naruto said. Jiraiya raised his fist and smashed it into Naruto's head.

"That's what you get for being an idiot!" he yelled. It was all in good-humor, though.

Naruto glared at his teacher while rubbing his now-sore head. "Fine, fine." He grumbled for a few more seconds before gesturing to the scroll in the middle. "I already told you what I was working on, Jiraiya-sensei. Is there any way to do it? Whenever I try and store my chakra, it always either dissipates or activates the seals, which then end up not working right."

Jiraiya rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he peered intently at the scroll. There were a variety of symbols on the paper, all of which held some meaning that only Naruto and Jiraiya could decipher. "I'm guessing that when your chakra doesn't dissipate it activates the seal, right? Does the chakra get stored successfully, or not?" he queried.

Naruto shook his head. "As far as I can tell, no chakra is sealed within the scroll. At least, not in any amount that I can really use," he informed.

"These seals look clean and neat, and the overall meaning should make it work," Jiraiya muttered. "Activate the seal, Naruto."

Doing as Jiraiya instructed, Naruto channeled a small burst of chakra into the scroll. Upon activation, he began to leak chakra, forcing it into the direction of the seal. The seal itself was supposed to suck up his chakra, but to him it felt like nothing was happening.

"Huh," Jiraiya said, "I don't see what's wrong with this. It might be the seals themselves, since your chakra isn't really destabilizing it. Try changing the phrasing when we get back to Konoha."

Naruto nodded, rolling up the scroll and sealing it, along with his brush and inkwell, into his body. The seals on his hands weren't useful just for hiding his gauntlets.

"You said you wanted to talk about something else, Jiraiya-sensei?"

The toad sage nodded. Itachi shifted nearby, but didn't turn around, instead keeping his eyes trained on the ocean. Tenten had stopped juggling pointy objects and was now nimbly running through a series of slashes with a sword.

"Naruto, Konoha isn't doing well," Jiraiya grimly said. "We've had little luck in Suna and they're beginning to push their boundaries. Kusa has already done that, which is an embarrassment to the Land of Fire. The daimyo himself paid us a visit to express his concerns, which was nearly suicidal.

"Now, we have foreign ninja in our homeland and an enemy jinchuriki against us. Suna hasn't even unveiled their own container, for crying out loud!" Jiraiya sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. "Look, Naruto, Konoha has historically been known as the most powerful ninja village. However, at this point in time, even with our allies, we're in trouble. We need additional firepower."

The man gave Naruto a serious frown and jabbed his pointer finger at Naruto's stomach. "We need someone to step up. We need a war deterrent. We need-"

"-A weapon," Naruto dully finished. The chunin laughed slightly and shook his head. "Nice speech, Jiraiya-sensei, but I'm going to have to decline. Konoha has you, the old man, and a whole lot of other ninja who're stronger than me."

Tenten's sword swipes slowed down and she began to listen in to the conversation.

Jiraiya was silent. His eyes were hard and his arms were folded over his chest. It was obvious that he wasn't pleased nor amused by Naruto's flippant response. "Naruto, none of them have what you have, and Konoha needs the Kyuubi's strength. You're throwing away a powerful asset by refusing to use its power," Jiraiya warned.

"Konoha needs the Kyuubi's power, but not mine?" Naruto shot back, his tone laced with anger. "If I use the Kyuubi's power, all that'll happen is that Konoha will eventually decide to throw me somewhere and let me explode. Just release the Kyuubi and have it destroy our enemies, right?"

"That's not how it works-"

"Then how does it work!?" Naruto burst out. His eyes were narrowed in anger and his teeth were bared. Both of Naruto's fists were clenched and raised. Tenten and Itachi had stopped what they were doing and had turned to watch the exchange. "Tell me, Jiraiya-sensei, what happens to me when I use the Kyuubi's chakra? Huh?"

Jiraiya was silent. Konoha had never had an offensive demon container before and he had never worked with one that could use Biju chakra. Sure, he had fought them before, but that was entirely different. Kushina had never used the Kyuubi's chakra, either.

"Yeah, I didn't think you had an answer," Naruto bitterly added.

"Are you done?" Jiraiya flatly commented. "Yes, you might turn into an engine of destruction, but the Hokage and I both have faith that you'll be able to control yourself."

If anything, Naruto got even angrier. It felt like a punch to the gut. Concerns were raised over his ability to control the Kyuubi and over his ability to harm his fellow ninja. Naruto knew not to hurt his friends; that was one of the primary reasons why he was so reluctant to use the Kyuubi's chakra.

What really irked him was the fact that everyone else was focused on the power and what it did to his surroundings. Just like in Konoha, nobody cared enough to give a damn about the little boy stuck in solitude.

Naruto didn't care if he was called selfish because of this reason. He didn't want to go back into that hell, especially not after having had such a long drink of friendship and general respect from the populace.

When people saw him use the Kyuubi's chakra, when they were in his presence when he was bathed in that boiling red chakra, they saw him as a monster. It probably wasn't their fault, but Naruto had seen that kind of instinctive fear before.

After using the Kyuubi's chakra over and over again, would anyone in Konoha ever see him as the human being he was supposed to be? Once thrown, a weapon needed to be picked up after all. Or, perhaps in his case, attached to a leash.

Naruto stiffly stood up, carefully schooling his features into neutrality. He needed to calm down; it wouldn't do to leak Killing Intent all over the place.

"We're not done yet," Jiraiya sternly said, rising just as quickly as Naruto had. "I honestly don't see the problem here. You have the ability to prevent a great deal of death if you would just try to learn how to use the thing sealed within you. You could be a hero!"

The blonde didn't immediately reply. He was still trying to control his emotions and restrain himself from exploding.

Jiraiya stomped over to where Naruto was standing and grabbed the boy's collar before lifting him up into the air. "Stop being so stubborn!" Jiraiya ground out. "The world doesn't revolve around you and the village doesn't have time for your drama. I'm not going to stand by and let good men and women die just because you're being a baby!"

The watching ninja looked worried. Tenten was concerned for her friend, while Itachi felt as if Jiraiya was approaching the issue wrongly.

The hermit dropped Naruto to the ground and glared at him. "Think about everyone else. They're not questioning their orders. They're going out and defending their village and their families to the best of their abilities. Why can't you do the same?"

"I _am_ doing the same!" Naruto exploded, jumping to his feet. "I _am_ defending the village. I _am_ following orders!"

"No, you're not!" Jiraiya shouted. He took a deep breath and turned away, his frustration evident at how quickly their anger had escalated. It took a few seconds, but Jiraiya finally regained control of his temper. He and Tsunade were both the more temperamental ninja of their old team, way back when.

"I _am_ defending my friends with my own strengths," Naruto lowly insisted, suddenly finding the wooden planks underneath his feet very interesting.

Jiraiya felt ashamed of himself. In their heated exchange, he had forgotten that Naruto was a lot more sensitive than he seemed. The blonde was an orphan without a childhood that had had his life complicated by the demon housed inside his gut.

Tenten was about to intervene, but Itachi held her back, letting the reigning silence remain. She shot him a scathing glare, but refrained from moving forward and yelling at the two arguing shinobi.

"Naruto," Jiraiya softly said, "you don't have to like using this chakra. In fact, I wouldn't expect you to given how different you are from what's usually seen in a jinchuriki. You laugh, cry, and act like a perfectly normal person. Nobody's going to fault you for using the Kyuubi's chakra to help defend the village. Have your friends ever done so?"

"Do you remember what we spoke about all those months ago?" Itachi interjected, causing an older memory to be brought to the forefront of Naruto's mind.

Itachi's words caused confusion to flash through Jiraiya's face, but he kept staring at Naruto meaningfully. He might've gone about this whole thing the wrong way, but his apprentice needed to realize that Konoha was more important than his own wants.

Finally, Naruto raised his head. His expression was twisted, a representation of his tumultuous thoughts. The other three ninja could see his jaw working, but no words came out of his mouth.

"At least give it a chance. You don't have to like it, but try using the fox's power to defend your allies, to defend Konoha and her allies. As long as you're careful, I doubt anything too bad will come out of it."

"What if I fail and hurt someone?" Naruto looked very nauseous at that possibility.

"If that happens, then I will personally guarantee that you won't have to use the chakra again," Jiraiya conceded. The hermit would probably get some flak from the Hokage, but he needed to get through Naruto's aversion first.

Naruto clenched his hands tightly and took a deep, shuddering breath. He felt exhausted for some reason, which was a strange feeling after having done absolutely nothing even relating to physical exertion. "I'll give it a shot," he muttered in a strained tone of voice.

Tension left Jiraiya's body as he let his arms fall to his side. "I know you won't let us down, Naruto. I'm sorry for forcing you into this, but Konoha is in danger. Without you, our position would be even worse. You're probably one of a very few number of people in the village who can consistently help restrain enemy jinchuriki."

"So was the mission just a scam? I'm guessing we're really out here so I can control the Kyuubi's chakra," Naruto tiredly stated.

"No, we really are looking for Oto bases. The Hokage thought it would be smart to have an additional way of destroying those hideouts," Jiraiya explained, not missing the grimace that appeared on Naruto's face.

The blonde nodded and slowly turned around, heading into the ship's quarters. Before he opened the wooden door that led inside, he said, "I'm only using the Kyuubi's chakra so I can help defend my friends and my village. That's the only reason why I'm even considering it."

With a low bang, the door was pulled shut.

"That could've gone better," Jiraiya admitted.

"It could have, yes," Itachi agreed. "Hopefully, this hasn't completely alienated him from us."

Jiraiya didn't reply, instead moving to the wooden railings himself. Tenten decided to rest as well with the decision of speaking to Naruto in the morning. She would give Naruto some time to himself, first. Itachi followed her down, leaving Jiraiya to his thoughts.

A low wind blew, causing Jiraiya's coat to flutter slightly. Had he been too harsh? No... this was ultimately necessary, no matter how guilty it made him feel.

**VvVvV**

(Mother Island)

Mother Island was large; it was by no means a small, insignificant landmass. In fact, it was large enough to render its neighboring isles puny by comparison. Civilization was of course present given how big the island was.

The scenery was nice, Naruto supposed. A shining sun, calm waves, and sandy beaches were probably a major tourist attraction, but Naruto wasn't really interested in it. There was a mission that had to be carried out.

Thoughts about the previous night remained in his head. The Kyuubi jinchuriki couldn't push them away and the pleasant scenery wasn't helping at all. Utakata's features appeared in his mind's eye, leading to hidden doubts. Was Utakata right? Did Konoha really just see him as a weapon to be used? Would they see-

"Hey."

Naruto was so caught up in his thoughts that he nearly stumbled onto the stone walkway. A chilly atmosphere had shrouded the team ever since Naruto woke up and he was glad for it. The blonde had no intention of joking around or speaking with his teacher. Itachi was quiet by nature and Tenten had been oddly silent.

Jiraiya and Itachi were a ways in font of the two lower-ranked ninja. Anything that could be seen as an affiliation to Konoha had been tucked away, bar ordinary clothing. Apparently, Jiraiya had someone running interference, which was why they weren't being particularly sneaky.

"Yeah, Tenten?"

Turning his head, Naruto met Tenten's eyes. Hers were still filled with concern. "Are... are you okay? You... I mean, you kind of got worked up last night," she softly said.

Her friend bowed his head. "I... not really, no," he reluctantly muttered.

Dejection was practically hovering around him; that, Tenten could easily see. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, not liking the depressing state Naruto was in.

Naruto sighed. "I don't know. I just didn't want to be forced into this. I'll gladly protect my friends and my home, but it's different with the Kyuubi's chakra," he said. "You've never seen me use it before, have you?" Tenten shook her head. "Then, you'll see why I don't like using it when I begin training in it. Sasuke mentioned it to you before, but talking about it and experiencing it are two very different things."

Tenten practically felt Naruto's mood sink lower as he seemed to remember something from his past. She needed to reassure him, to make sure he knew that he wouldn't be ostracized for doing what apparently had to be done. Tentatively, she reached out and grabbed Naruto's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

She nearly snickered at how Naruto froze up, but withheld her amusement. It wasn't necessary nor needed in this situation.

"Don't worry, Naruto. Even if you think everyone else will see you as a monster, I won't." The bun-haired kunoichi gave him a wide grin and a wink before squeezing his hand once more. Then, she released his hand and pinched his cheek. "Nobody could see someone like you as a monster, fluffy fox chakra or not. You're much too adorable for that."

Naruto stared at her in awe and surprise. Bewilderment came first, but genuine thanks quickly followed. Like when he had first revealed his secret to her, she was accepting and cheery at the same time.

Part of the gloom in his chest disappeared, finally giving him a reason to fully smile. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"Don't worry about it," Tenten replied earnestly. "Besides, you can still get stronger while using the fox's chakra. No one said you had to rely on it only."

"Oi," Jiraiya called. The younger ninja stopped moving. They had been so caught up in their own discussion that they had nearly bypassed Jiraiya and Itachi, both of which had been conversing with a local.

"Are you really sure you want to go out into the wilderness? There's strength in numbers, yes, but it isn't safe, especially for tourists who don't know the area," the local, a tall, balding man, cautioned.

The two teens made to ask why it was unsafe, but Jiraiya cut them off. "It's fine," Jiraiya gruffly insisted. "We can take of ourselves."

The local didn't look convinced, but who was he to stop visitors from exploring? They could risk their own necks for all he cared, so long as they didn't bring trouble to the locals.

With a shrug, the man wandered off, muttering incoherently under his breath. After he disappeared, Jiraiya and Itachi began to walk again, heading outside of town.

When Naruto looked like he still didn't want to speak to Jiraiya, Tenten asked, "Unsafe? What did he mean by that?"

"Well," Jiraiya began, "while you and Naruto were having your little chat, Itachi and I were looking for isolated training areas. Recently, whenever people have been leaving town, they've ended up missing. It happens regularly enough that these people believe evil spirits are behind their disappearance. Some of the sailors have reported seeing strange things at sea as well."

"And?" Tenten prompted, not quite believing the rumors.

"It's likely the work of the Otogakure base hidden in this land," Jiraiya informed, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Based on those crazy ninja we've already seen, they're likely abducting people to use as lab rats."

While Itachi's expression did not change, Tenten and Naruto both looked disgusted. "Are we going to lure them out?" Tenten would love to teach those cruel enough to kidnap and experiment on innocent civilians a lesson.

"Not quite. You, Naruto, and Itachi are going to stay here for _training_ while I investigate some things," Jiraiya said. His source had probably dropped some information for him somewhere that needed to be picked up. In addition, Jiraiya wanted to ask around about the strange things that had been seen at sea since the team hadn't encountered anything while sailing to the island.

"All three of us should be enough should any enemies appear," Itachi stoically said. Jiraiya handed the Uchiha a stack of small seals before turning to leave. Sasuke's older brother couldn't help but feel slightly nervous about that.

"Naruto, the Hokage and I have faith in you, and I'm sure you won't disappoint us. Just think of your village and of your friends. Remember what you're aiming to be and what comes along with it." With that final message, Jiraiya jumped away, not even bothering to wave or wait for a response from Naruto. That suited the jinchuriki just fine.

Jiraiya had just up and left them just as they had been walking into the wilderness. Nonetheless, Itachi kept plowing forward, though he looked somewhat uncomfortable at being left in charge of overseeing Naruto's training.

The team lapsed into silence for some time until Itachi thought they had traveled far enough. Their surroundings were mostly shrubbery with very few trees and it felt very much like the Land of Fire. The familiarity was slightly soothing, but it didn't do much for Naruto.

"Naruto-kun, I must apologize for this. My little brother has mentioned how you dislike using your tenant's chakra," Itachi said, breaking the silence.

"It's all right, Itachi. I guess I have to do this, though. For the village and for my friends. I won't let them get hurt." Be it from him, or from their enemies, he wouldn't allow harm to come to them.

Itachi nodded approvingly before looking around. "I was ordered to help you train in that chakra, so please tell me how much experience you have with it for the moment."

Jiraiya had once made Naruto use it against him in a difficult spar, just to see how powerful it could be. It was also when Jiraiya had loosened the seal, causing the Kyuubi's chakra to leak out far faster than before.

The resulting power surge had been... intense. Vicious, aggressive thoughts had dominated his mind back then and Naruto had wanted nothing more than to tear Jiraiya apart. Thankfully, the man was far more skilled than he let on and was able to handle Naruto soundly.

"Jiraiya made me use it against once before, just to see what I could do with a loosened seal-"

"The seal can be loosened?" Tenten blurted in disbelief. "What do you mean loosened?"

"More chakra can leak out," Naruto quietly replied, having had Jiraiya explain it to him once before. "It's always leaking, which is why my chakra reserves are so damn large. A loose seal lets me drag out the Kyuubi's chakra faster. Jiraiya tightened it, but I'm not sure by how much."

Based on the hermit's stance, Naruto was sure that the seal had never been tightened after that one spar. It would suit Konoha's needs to allow their container to have an easier time of drawing on the Kyuubi's power.

However, Jiraiya had been acting on orders, possibly back when he had loosened the seal as well. Naruto was shrewd enough to realize that and was sure that the Hokage had ordered Jiraiya to confront him on the issue of the Kyuubi's chakra.

While they were caught up in the moment, verbally lashing out at each other, all Naruto could really think about was what Jiraiya was forcing him to do. Yes, the Hokage was practically forcing him to use the Kyuubi's chakra as well, but Naruto was sure that he would've been more... _calm_ about it. Somehow.

Harboring anger towards the Hokage, who hadn't even been present, was more difficult than Naruto thought. The old man was only trying to protect the village. According to some history books he had once read, the Hokage had fought through three wars. He had to know what he was doing.

Konoha was put above everyone else's needs, regardless of their ranking, and that included the Hokage. Naruto's wants wouldn't be important and he would be expected to sacrifice them for Konoha. If the Uzumaki wanted to be Hokage, he'd have to be able to accomplish such an act.

Namikaze Minato had sacrificed his life to save thousands of lives. If his dad could do that, then why couldn't Naruto use his power for the good of the village? His dream was to be Hokage, wasn't it?

Sighing, the blonde stretched his muscles out, deciding not to think about such things anymore. They were making his head hurt. "How are we going to do this?" he reluctantly asked.

"Jiraiya-sama gave me seals to use just in case you aren't able to control yourself," Itachi explained, flashing the seals for emphasis. "However, the Sharingan has the unique ability to restrain Biju, according to the Shodai Hokage. Should these seals fail, my eyes should help." Turning to Tenten, he continued, "I must ask that you keep your distance and prepare yourself. The Kyuubi's power isn't to be underestimated."

Itachi had already lived through one attack and did not really want to experience another. Giant, menacing, and roiling with oppressive chakra, the Nine-Tailed Fox was a sight to be afraid of, and that had been when Itachi was looking after an extremely young, defenseless Sasuke.

Once Tenten had backed up to an acceptable distance, Itachi asked Naruto to begin drawing on the demonic chakra. At this point, it would be trial and error.

Delving deep within himself, Naruto began to tap into the giant reservoir hidden inside.

**VvVvV**

(With Jiraiya)

Islands were awesome. They were usually warm and forgiving, filled with pretty women who were dressed in scandalous bathing suits. Peeping was basically obligatory! Within certain limits, no one could yell at him here!

Ah, but that was for another time. The toad sage had more pressing matters to attend to, unfortunately. Enjoying the luxurious island would probably be difficult with Naruto's anger on his mind. Damn, he still felt guilty.

Well, it would make his godson stronger in the end, and simply trying to forget the Kyuubi even existed wasn't the way he to go. Simply put, it wasn't possible. The seal on Naruto's stomach was like a permanent scar and would follow him throughout his life.

Naruto just needed to learn how to live with it and with himself, just like how Jiraiya had learned how to live with Minato's death, his traitorous teammate's betrayal, and a whole slew of other regrets. Jiraiya accepted them and he accepted his faults. Naruto did not and that was where the main issue was.

Time would pass and the blonde brat would eventually figure it out. Living a complete and full life practically required that. If Jiraiya could do anything else to help make up for his idiocy, it would be that.

Now wasn't the time to dwell on what had already happened, though. _I really should've approached the issue from a different angle,_ he mournfully thought. Perhaps a bribe would help repair their relationship?

No, no... that wasn't smart. He'd make it up to his godson, somehow. When he returned to oversee Naruto's training, he would.

Looking around, Jiraiya frowned. Seconds were ticking and the meeting time was quickly approaching. Where was his source's contact? This information was extremely sensitive, not to mention vital to Konoha's success in repelling grotesque berserkers.

Shuffling caught his attention and a pretty, curvaceous brunette with an impressive bust sauntered up to him. Attractive brown eyes winked at him and Jiraiya had to force himself to swallow the urge to follow her.

Something was up, though. The brunette's eyes were dull and her movements seemed almost mechanical. Was this the contact?

"Jiraiya-sama," the woman droned.

The hermit still found that creepy.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's my attempt at some good old angst and drama. Jiraiya's anger is mostly directed towards Naruto because unlike Naruto, Jiraiya really does believe that he can be a hero and use the Kyuubi's chakra. He can be a savior to Konoha, but Naruto thinks that the village just wants to use him as a disposable tool.<br>**

****Who is the source?****

**Please let me know if there are any continuity errors or typos, and tell me if I'm doing anything that seems out of place. If there are any questions, PM me or leave a review! I sure do like to know if I'm doing anything wrong...  
><strong>

**8/21/13: Fixed a continuity error pointed out by SomeGuyFawkes**


	28. Willpower

**A/N: Next chapter. If there are any gaping errors, discontinuities, or typos, please let me know. Read and review, and enjoy! **

**It's almost been a year since I started writing this story. Thanks for the support, readers!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Twenty-eight: Willpower<p>

"Smart to use my habits as a way to catch my attention," Jiraiya muttered, peering intently at the brunette's bosom.

"Your... _hobbies_ are not particularly well-hidden. They are one of your most distinguishing factors, in fact." The woman blinked and smiled, but the expression came off as fake. "The traces were indeed true and I have found the hidden research facility. Its heavy protection likely hints towards promising leads."

"Which island is it on?" Jiraiya queried. His eyes flitted about, making sure no one was scrutinizing them too closely. The wide, perverted grin on his face would help remove suspicion should it arise- Jiraiya did fit the lecherous old man role very well, after all.

"Jiro Island. One of your recently deceased ninja had a history with it," the woman droned. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, but didn't call the contact out.

"Have you already infiltrated it?" The woman mechanically shook her head. "How long are you willing to wait?"

A grin appeared on the brunette's face and she giggled bashfully as a group of chatting people walked by. Playing along, Jiraiya launched into a story about how he wrestled a large fish to the ground before winning a contest with it. Naturally, he used hand gestures to emphasize how large the fish was.

When the group had passed, the laughter and embellishment immediately ceased. "My preparations will be complete in one week. Will that be sufficient?" Regardless of Jiraiya's answer, the contact's master was going to go ahead and enter the island anyway.

"That's fine. I think that will be enough time for my team as well," Jiraiya said, consenting with the given time frame.

"Training Konoha's weapon, are you?"

Jiraiya grit his teeth. Now he knew his source was goading him. Why else would he flaunt the fact that he had moles hiding within Konoha so easily? It was an open insult to Konoha's security that he had access to such information.

On the other hand, the fact that the contact's master was willing to allow such things to be known meant that some trust was being placed in Jiraiya. Not much at all, obviously, but it was still a little bit more than absolutely nothing.

"Yes, but I don't think you should call him that," the hermit evenly answered.

The woman nodded and said, "Very well. If you fail, his presence will become known."

"Why do you think he's coming with us to the base?" Jiraiya muttered. He let out a breath and continued, "Is there anything else you have to share? Anything about the sailors and their ghost stories?"

Once again, the woman mechanically smiled. It as unnerving how inhuman the action appeared to be despite being pasted on such a pretty face. "Perhaps later. I don't believe it's time to let such a proposal be known."

Some boisterous, younger men approached the chatting duo. All they saw was an attractive young woman speaking with a lecherous old man and so took it upon themselves to 'rescue' her. The contact played her part and Jiraiya lumbered away with a bruised ego.

Well, not really. He could always beat those young punks up with his eyes closed and his right arm tied behind his back. If Jiraiya's source wasn't going to say anything else, then he would simply turn into a curious tourist and ask around himself.

Without anything that connected him directly to Konoha, Jiraiya found a nearby sailor and walked towards him, planning on asking the man about the strange happenings at sea. The rumors he'd heard earlier in the day weren't exactly specific.

The sailor was sitting on a barrel and reading a book with a distinctive orange cover. Jiraiya had to repress a smirk at seeing one of his works so far away from the Land of Fire. Natural talent like that just couldn't be found anywhere else.

"Excuse me," the hermit politely began, catching the middle-aged sailor's attention, "could I ask you a few questions about what's been going on around here?"

The sailor let out a sigh and closed his book before setting it aside. Graying, brown hair dangled in front of his tanned face, and his dark eyes settled on Jiraiya. Muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "tourists", the man briefly cleared his throat and nodded his assent.

Jiraiya nearly frowned at the man's actions, but instead said, "Sorry for bothering you, but I was wondering why the locals mentioned some suspicious info about the sea. I was told there were strange things happening out there. I'm Oiru, by the way." The hermit stuck out his hand.

"Shio," the sailor grunted. Shio ignored the offered hand, making his displeasure at speaking with the person in front of him known. "Why does a tourist want to know about these things anyway? Old folktales and myths shouldn't be taken over fact."

"I know," Jiraiya agreed, "but if I'm going to be traveling across the sea I figure I should know about any potential hazards. Might as well not throw my life away if it's too dangerous, eh?"

"True enough," the man reluctantly agreed. He made eye contact with Jiraiya and frowned. "I haven't personally seen it, but there's been rumors of the sea coming alive. It takes the shape of a monster and devours any nearby ships it finds."

"This only happens on moonlit nights, right?" Jiraiya jokingly asked.

Smirking a bit, the sailor bobbed his head. "It goes along those lines, yeah." His expression twisted and his frown returned. "I know some friends who have lost family because of what's been going on. No one's sure if they capsized or if something else happened, but people are disappearing. I'm sure you've heard of it already."

The hermit shook his head, appearing sorrowful to the sailor he was speaking to. "I'm sorry to hear that," he genuinely remarked.

"It only ever happens if people get too close to Jiro Island, though. That place has been bad news ever since those incidents all those years ago," the sailor explained. "A lot of us think it's cursed, but I think people are just looking for something to blame." Shio shrugged.

Well, at least he had extra confirmation. Jiraiya already knew about the island and what it contained. The fact that the unexplained attacks were happening near the wretched piece of land meant that there was someone- or perhaps something- capable of manipulating the sea to great effect.

The rumors stated that apparently the sea came alive and took the form of a monster. A few techniques could do that, but Jiraiya had a niggling feeling that that wasn't the case. Innocents were being taken to that island for experimentation and something was being used to guard the research facility stationed there.

"So I guess if I avoid Jiro Island, I'll be fine," Jiraiya hazarded, deducing that the incident was from Orochimaru's initial samples regarding the Cursed Seal.

"Seems like a safe enough bet," Shio grunted. "No one's been to that island for years."

Jiraiya nodded. After thanking the man for his time, the hermit thought about where to go next. He could go oversee Naruto's training, but he felt like Itachi would have the situation under control. Obtaining additional information about Jiro Island was probably still necessary.

Plus, he was sure that Naruto was still sour towards him. That would need to be fixed.

A large volume of water transforming into a monster that capsized ships? That sounded somewhat realistic to a man like him, but Shio hadn't mentioned anything about the attacked sailors seeing anyone- such as a ninja- nearby when the monster appeared.

Then again, the actual truth couldn't be spread if those who knew of it died or were abducted before relaying it.

**VvVvV**

(With Naruto, Tenten, and Itachi)

Tenten tried not to shudder. While the feeling chafing at her nerves was similar to the intent some ninja could project, it was also much different. Rather than a concentrated burst of Killing Intent, Naruto was simply emanating raw, unbridled _murder._

The bun-haired kunoichi couldn't remember the Kyuubi's attack. She'd been much too young at the time and had been far away from the village when the beast had finally been sealed away. No familiarity towards the fox's chakra existed in her mind.

That, in addition to never experiencing a container's use of Biju chakra, made it much more difficult for her to stand up to Naruto's piercing, blood-red gaze. All she felt was an instinctive sensation of fear. To her body, Naruto was all of a sudden seen as _dangerous_.

The only thing that stopped her from running away or averting her eyes was what she had told Naruto earlier on in the day, and she wasn't about to break her word to a fellow Konoha ninja and friend. So, rather than run away like a scared little girl, she steeled her nerves and stared resolutely at his form.

"Intriguing," Itachi muttered, scrutinizing Naruto with his own blood-red eyes. The tomoe in his Sharingan were spinning slowly, analyzing every bit of Naruto's chakra circulatory system.

"What's up?" Tenten asked, silently congratulating herself at not stuttering or botching up her words.

"Aside from his... aesthetic differences, Naruto's chakra levels are gargantuan." Itachi raised an eyebrow. "I knew you had a lot of chakra, but this is nothing short of incredible. What's even more impressive is that the Kyuubi's chakra is being released from your seal and into your body continuously. This could potentially give you nearly limitless chakra in battle."

"Only if the fox keeps the chakra flowing," Naruto growled, and he had no doubt the fox would continue to do so. Change had also affected his voice, turning it from loud and boisterous to low and guttural. "Some of my techniques might be harder to use, too."

"Would the Kyuubi allow you to use more right at this moment?" Itachi calmly inquired.

Naruto paused and his red, slitted eyes glassed over. It was curious, for the murderous intent was still leaking from his body, yet contrasted sharply with the completely at-ease expression the blonde was wearing. Vacant eyes peered off into space, indicating that Naruto wasn't all there in cognizance.

"Are you sure that's all right?" Tenten whispered. The Kyuubi was a beast of chakra. Who knew how much chakra it actually had and how much Naruto could actually draw on? The bun-haired kunoichi had no idea what to expect.

Itachi's eyes drifted to Tenten's before they returned to who they had been previously observing. "According to historical reports Konoha has stockpiled, jinchuriki become proportionally stronger as they draw on more and more of their Tailed Beast's chakra. Our goal is to make sure Naruto can control a noticeable amount without losing himself," the Uchiha explained.

"It can't be much worse than this, can it?" Tenten squirmed uncomfortably at the thought of the ill feeling intensifying.

"I'm afraid I cannot accurately answer that question," Itachi reluctantly admitted. "I'm not too sure how Naruto will react, either. Jiraiya-sama mentioned that abuse of a Tailed Beast's chakra can override a jinchuriki's consciousness, turning them into mindless, bloodthirsty animals."

Tenten gulped and tried to take a small step back, but refrained from doing so. She needed to trust Naruto, especially since he had placed his own trust in her.

A few minutes later, blood-red eyes blinked and Naruto slowly nodded. "I don't think the fox will make an effort to stop me," he informed with a grimace. "If I can't control the power I'm just playing into its hands- err, paws. More chakra means it's harder to control the way I act."

Itachi sighed. "Unfortunately, you need to learn how to exert control onto greater and greater quantities of its chakra. If you begin to lose control, I will try to suppress you." To emphasize his point, the tomoe in Itachi's eyes spun. The seals were also in a pouch strapped to Itachi's waist.

The blonde tensed his body. "You two might want to brace yourselves, then." Naruto tried to appear apologetic, but the Kyuubi's chakra did a good job of ruining that attempt. The resulting image was only slightly less vicious.

An eerie smile filled with shining white teeth flashed in his mind and the burning sensation that Naruto had initially experienced when tapping into the Kyuubi's chakra returned. Instead of a brief burst of borrowed power, bubbling red chakra was vomited out from the seal on Naruto's stomach.

Like an otherworldly type of cloak, the bubbling chakra surrounded Naruto's body, slithering over every exposed inch of his body. Nothing was left defenseless and everything was coated in a deep, bright shade of red. Naruto's fangs became more pronounced, with a literal tail of chakra protruding from his tail bone.

Hunching over slightly, Naruto took a series of deep, shaky breaths to calm himself. An urge to fall to all fours presented itself, but he resisted it. Another urge, one much more aggressive and violent, was also ignored, albeit with some difficulty.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and examined his body. A red tint shrouded his vision, but the blonde could clearly make out the chakra covering his arms, his chest, and his lower body. Nothing could be felt from the glowing tail swaying behind him, but Naruto already knew that it would have a mind of its own.

A heavy weight settled on his body as he tried to look up. Controlling the chakra was not easy; unless he was fighting, the cloak was more restrictive than anything else. Pressure was pushing down on him, punishing him for his lack of action, his lack of aggression...

No, he couldn't act on that. Uzumaki Naruto would not harm those close to him! Another shuddering breath escaped the blonde's lips and he relaxed as much as he could.

"How are you coping at the moment, Naruto-kun?" Itachi was wary. Raised hands were close to forming a seal in self-defense, should his charge decide to forsake reason and attack.

Ruby eyes glanced at Itachi before drifting to Tenten. Aggressive thoughts still pervaded his head, but he wasn't about to attack. For the moment, his willpower was enough to control the amount of chakra the Kyuubi had granted him. "I'm fine," Naruto gruffly stated.

Tenten was fixated on the bubbling coat of chakra Naruto was essentially wearing. For something representing an incredibly powerful, natural force, it looked quite ethereal. Two fox-like 'ears' of chakra atop her friend's head seemed to add to the picture as well.

"I will trust you, then. Tenten, please be mindful of what we must do," Itachi announced. Chakra that funneled through his legs and towards his feet allowed Itachi to explosively jump forward, the speed catching Naruto unawares and allowing the elder Uchiha to land a powerful kick on Naruto's sternum.

The force of the kick was enough to send Naruto flying backward towards a nearby tree. However, rather than crash into it, the blonde flipped his body in midair and latched onto the tree trunk. Using his glowing tail as a spring, Naruto launched himself back at Itachi, determination ablaze in his eyes.

The only kunoichi in the clearing watched with a furrowed brow. Her nervousness had been partially replaced by curiosity. Oppressing as the Kyuubi's chakra was, Tenten still saw the fox as something that could potentially be useful, and she wanted to see what Naruto would do with it.

Naruto wasn't wearing his gauntlets, but with his sharpened nails, he didn't need to. Unfortunately, with a small portion of his concentration being used to control the Kyuubi's chakra, he couldn't efficiently use wind chakra without seriously hurting either himself or his opponent.

Itachi's eyes widened at the flurry of strikes Naruto unleashed. Fists were thrown far faster than what a chunin was usually capable of and his punches had a large amount of strength behind them. Had Itachi not actually earned his rank, Naruto would've made a much more challenging opponent.

The rapid-fire attacks were much more tolerable once Itachi got over his surprise. The Uchiha stepped back as the chakra tail lashed out, swiping at the space Itachi had been occupying. Naruto lunged forward, his red eyes meeting Itachi's own.

Illusions were what Itachi was adept at. Of course, he was adept at nearly everything, but genjutsu was just something that he was particularly talented at. Against Naruto, he would've had a chance to trap him within an illusion several times, but that wasn't what he was aiming for. Not yet.

The blonde leaned forward and then screamed loudly. Somehow, he had managed to manipulate his vocal chords to send out a veritable wall of sound that forced Itachi back. Although the Uchiha's feet were secured to the ground, the attack had the effect of making Itachi's ears ring painfully.

"Are you all right?" Naruto growled. Enough concern laced his voice to make him sound slightly more humane.

Why had Naruto stopped attacking? "Did you say something?" Itachi's voice was louder than what was normal for him, but it was still somewhat quiet.

Raising a hand, Naruto pointed to his ears. Itachi mirrored the action and grimaced when he felt wet stickiness running down his neck. It wasn't much, but he knew that his eardrums were likely perforated. That roar wasn't what he had been expecting.

Putting a hand up to his collarbone, Itachi drew his fingers across his neck. The rudimentary ceasefire signal was accepted and Naruto forcefully reeled in the Kyuubi's chakra. After it flickered for a moment, it vanished into the blonde's skin.

Groaning slightly, the blonde rubbed his head in an attempt to ward off the impending headache. Pain was always one of the end results of using the Kyuubi's chakra. Thankfully, the same chakra that burned also healed at the same time.

Naruto made to move, but he instead collapsed to the ground. Unable to even support himself on his knees, the blonde jinchuriki just allowed himself to fall onto the soft grass.

"Naruto!" Tenten gasped.

"It seems that the Kyuubi's chakra has had an adverse effect on his body," Itachi remarked, bringing his glowing green hands down from his ears.

Tenten rolled him over so that he was facing the leaves and sunshine above. The blonde was still awake, but his eyes were half-lidded and his breathing shallow. Evidently, he was completely exhausted.

A glowing green hand was waved over Naruto's body. "I'm not a skilled medic, but I'm sure he isn't suffering from chakra exhaustion or physical injury," Itachi informed.

"Naruto, are you awake?" Tenten lightly slapped his cheeks, trying to knock some sense back into him. The blonde's eyes blinked slowly and he let out a dry cough.

"Can you please get me some water?" Naruto quietly rasped. "My throat kind of hurts..."

Exhaling in relief, Tenten went to retrieve the canteens Jiraiya had given them. They were sealed in a scroll the man had given them for safekeeping.

While she went to do what Naruto had asked of her, Itachi said, "I see that you can maintain control over the particular state of power you were using, but..." Control was worthless if the end result was going to be counterproductive to their overall goal.

Naruto forced his body up with another groan. Shaking his head to clear up the fog muddling his mind, the blonde stretched out his arms. "I just haven't used the fox's chakra in a while," he grunted. "Give me some time to get used to it again. I'm sure this is just a one-time thing."

"Since you are recovering quickly enough, perhaps another spar will help? I'd like to see you use more of the chakra."

"I really don't think that's a good idea."

"How are you going to progress, then? Since your body will naturally get used to using the chakra on its own, your focus should be on controlling a greater amount of the Kyuubi's chakra," Itachi suggested.

Naruto made to reply, but there was a poof of smoke and the blonde once again found himself lying back on the ground; the only difference being that a toad the size of Itachi's torso was sitting on his chest. Orange skin and a blue coat defined the toad, as well as a cheeky smirk.

"Gamakichi?"

Saluting the toad summoner, Gamakichi said, "Yo, bro! Long time no see!"

"I summoned you two weeks ago!"

"That's a week and a half too long, Naruto! How've ya been?"

Blinking rapidly, the blonde frowned up at the summon. "I've been better. Mind getting off of my chest? You're growing too fast for my tastes," Naruto deadpanned.

Gamakichi leaned forward. "What's wrong? You look fine to me," he croaked. He bounced on Naruto's chest, trying to see if the Uzumaki was about to yell or scream in pain.

Healing quickly was always a gift Naruto had. Well, it was more like a precaution used by the fox in order to ensure its survival. The exhaustion and slight pain he had experienced was pretty much gone by now and Naruto was able to grab Gamakichi to stop him from jumping on his upper body.

"It's not physical," Naruto growled in irritation.

A rustle drew Gamakichi's attention and the toad caught sight of Tenten. Leaning in close to Naruto, he whispered, "Ah, you've got lady troubles, is that right? She your girlfriend?"

Springing up, Naruto caught the surprised toad in his arms before letting him drop. Gamakichi hit the ground with an exaggerated whine of pain. Ignoring the toad, Naruto thanked his friend and took the long, bar-shaped canteen from her. He proceeded to down the whole thing in order to soothe his dry throat.

"No need to be angry," Gamakichi grumbled. "Seriously Naruto-bro, what's up? You're a lot less fun when something's eatin' at ya." That, and he was much less likely to give the toad snacks. Gamakichi wasn't like his brother, but he did love the snacks Naruto gave him.

"Jiraiya didn't tell you? I'm supposed to be learning how to use the Kyuubi's chakra," Naruto stated. "It's not really my kind of training," he absently added.

"Eh? He didn't mention anything about that! He just told me to deliver a message to you, bro."

Itachi looked down at the exuberant toad. "What did Jiraiya-sama ask you to pass on?"

Fumbling a bit with his jacket, Gamakichi eventually pulled out a small scroll and held it high above his head in triumph. It was quickly plucked out of his webbed fingers by a smirking Naruto, who was amused at the toad's antics.

"What's it say?" Tenten asked, eying the toad in interest.

Naruto broke the haphazard seal and unfurled the scroll, quickly reading through Jiraiya's scrawled words. Once the blonde was finished scanning the document, he handed it off to Itachi, whose eyes memorized everything that was written.

"It seems we have less time than I thought," Itachi commented. Turning to Tenten, the Uchiha explained himself. "We have about a week to help Naruto practice before we are to attack the enemy's base. Jiraiya-sama knows their location already and he's returning fairly soon."

"Pretty normal message," Tenten remarked.

"Indeed," Itachi agreed, tucking the scroll away into a pocket. Deciding not to focus on it, he said, "Naruto, are you feeling up to fighting again?"

The Kyuubi jinchuriki rolled his shoulders and loosened his body. "I've got no choice, so why not?"

"Oh, oh! Can I watch?"

Naruto outright laughed at Gamakichi's reaction. He could always count on the toads to give him a quick laugh and brighten up his day. "I really, _really_ don't think that's a great idea, 'Kichi, but you can if you want," Naruto consented.

Cheering loudly, Gamakichi hopped back to where Tenten was standing. The young toad found a nearby tree trunk and reclined against it, watching as Naruto's body stiffened and noxious, red chakra began bleeding out from his skin.

"He's not going to try going farther than that, is he?" Gamakichi was seemingly questioning the air, but Tenten caught the inquiry and gave him a quizzical stare in response. "Gerotera said that the seal could weaken if Naruto-bro tries to take on too much chakra at once."

Assuming that "Gerotera" was another toad, Tenten watched as a second, glowing red tail formed from Naruto's tailbone, swaying alongside the first. A fine pressure saturated the air, feeling much more intense than when Naruto had had only one tail behind him.

The kunoichi took a tentative step back. "That's why we have countermeasures," she said, forcing herself to breath evenly as Itachi and Naruto began to clash right before her eyes.

"Eh, I don't think you'll need them. My bro's got this down," Gamakichi croaked with a wry grin. Unlike Tenten, he wasn't feeling too bothered by the intensifying Killing Intent, nor by the fighting going on in front of him.

Tenten sure hoped that was the case. So far, Naruto was controlling himself admirably. She couldn't detect a change in his behavior aside from the bloodlust he was emitting, and she thought that that was to be expected after experiencing it a short time earlier.

Hopefully he wouldn't turn into a bloodthirsty killer while they were nearby. That made her deathly afraid. Not of Naruto, nor for their own lives, but for what could happen when Naruto regained reason and realized what he had done.

It would destroy him and she didn't ever want to see that happen. Naruto had already had enough hardship in his life.

Possibilities such as that might be remote, but there was always the chance of them occurring.

**VvVvV**

(Amegakure no Sato)

"Are you sure Konoha needs our help?"

Tsunade met his eyes evenly. It hurt her pride to ask for help, but her sensei had ordered her to do so. Plus, Konoha and Ame were in an alliance together, and thanks to her boneheaded teammate, had closer ties than what was considered normal between two ninja villages.

Yahiko rubbed his brow and turned to stare out of the nearby window. Like always, Amegakure was cold and dreary. The citizens of the industrialized village were happy though, and Yahiko had done his best to maintain their peace.

Amegakure's leader wrinkled his nose and returned his gaze to Tsunade's. "I guess it's time to cash in on this," he supposed. The buxom blonde in front of him smirked at his wording.

"Took you long enough," Tsunade said, sticking her nose up in the air and widening her taunting grin.

Nagato, who was standing nearby, frowned slightly at the Senju princess. "How did Konoha fail to repulse these attacks? Your village is much more defensible than ours," he admitted. As humbling as it was to say such a thing, Konoha's forces dwarfed Ame's own.

"From what I've been told, there are... _abominations_ that our enemies use to overwhelm our soldiers. That, and my foolish teammate has recruited far too many people. Whatever he's promising them certainly doesn't give him a shortage of ninja," Tsunade grouched. She didn't look too thrilled to be speaking about her village's own inabilities either.

"Ah, yes," Yahiko commented, his eyes glinting in recognition, "Karin has fought them more than once. The majority that her team has encountered have had bodies that are far too twisted for our liking."

"One of these was responsible for an unfortunate casualty a few months back," Tsunade said. Shaking her head, she continued, "We can push these things back, but we end up needing more manpower than we'd like and our enemies don't seem to be letting up on their own."

"Jiraiya-sensei told us that Sunagakure's allies have another container at their disposal as well." Tsunade scowled at Nagato's words. The redheaded man simply smirked. "I believe we now have more of our own, too."

Sakura, who had been silent for the majority of the meeting, couldn't help but blurt, "Another jinchuriki?"

"Yep," Yahiko lightly commented, grinning at Sakura's sheepish cough. The other woman Tsunade had brought with her, Shizune, was also embarrassed at the pink-haired chunin's outburst. Turning to his friend, he said, "Nagato, why don't you explain a few things about your extended trip?"

Nagato- who was still wearing his glasses- nodded in compliance. "Very well. I'm sure it will interest your Hokage, considering he has been aiming for this sort of thing for quite a while."

"What do you mean?" Shizune asked, her previous reaction forgotten.

Exchanging a glance with his friend, Nagato said, "Once we realized tensions were rising, Yahiko sent me to Kirigakure again. The Mizukage shares ties with us, and part of that is due to Jiraiya-sensei's efforts, as well as a few of mine."

"You were asking the Yondaime Mizukage for an alliance?" Tsunade dryly questioned, sounding entirely skeptical.

"We have been asking him for longer than you think. Until now, we've always been refused, as Kirigakure's location has helped it regain its strength after its war," the redhead explained. "This time, Yagura accepted our proposition. He too is worried about his village and his ninja."

"Why would he be worried about his ninja? Kiri isn't even close to the mainland!"

A grimace appeared on Nagato's pale face as he recalled what Yagura had told him. While there were many small islands in the Land of Water, none of them had yielded any evidence of enemy presence. Yagura had made sure of that when reports began to crop up about hostile Oto-nin.

However, the Mizukage hadn't anticipated the Land of Snow taking interest in current events. Ships with powerful cannons wreaked havoc on merchants, but the attacks had started out as infrequent. As the months went by, the confrontations grew bolder until Yagura was notified that some of his ninja had died in an attack.

What was particularly aggravating was that merchants going to and from the Land of Lightning's coast were left to their devices. Kiri was being targeted and, for some reason, being goaded into fighting or into submitting.

"The Raikage has decided to stake a claim in this war, and we have an accurate idea of why that is so," Nagato stated. "A few years back, the Land of Snow was taken over by an aggressive dictatorship. Until recently, they've been isolated from the affairs of the great villages."

"And?" the blonde muttered. Folding her arms across her impressive chest, she let out an indignant snort. "What does this have to do with us?"

Nagato explained what was happening to Kiri and why their leader had finally accepted the offer to join forces with Ame. The redheaded man had been ready to head to Konoha and share the news as per his diplomatic status, but Tsunade's group had shown up before he could depart and complete his mission.

The buxom blonde paused for a moment. "If sensei accepts-" and the Senju princess had no doubt that he would, "-then Kiri can help us against Kumo."

"Their positioning is better than ours in certain ways," Yahiko remarked. "Our forces can help you against Suna and in pushing Kusa back to its homelands, whereas the Mizukage's armies can aid you in putting pressure on Kumogakure-"

"-By opening up another front and forcing them to divide their attention," Tsunade finished.

"Precisely," Ame's leader concluded. "Unfortunately, this still leaves Iwagakure. As far as we can tell, they are simply defending their country from enemy incursions."

Tsunade disregarded the village with a wave of her hand. "If they're being attacked by our own foes, I doubt they'd be willing to attack us."

"I hope you're right," Nagato said. The office fell silent, allowing each person within the digest the information that had been thrown around.

Iwagakure was still an unknown, but perhaps Tsunade was onto something. With Konoha receiving additional help and even Kiri beginning to participate, they wouldn't attempt anything too rash. The Tsuchikage wouldn't risk the lives of his men when the odds were against his village as a whole.

Besides, they were still within their borders and preoccupied when their own troubles.

"Is there anything else you wanted to bring up?" Yahiko asked, accepting the busty blonde's thoughts.

"Not particularly," Tsunade replied with a smirk.

"In that case, I will accompany you back to Konoha." Nagato needed to pass on the information and his eyes might need to be publicly unveiled as well. If done in an opportune moment, demoralization would hopefully cripple enemy forces.

"Very well," Yahiko acknowledged. He opened a drawer on the underside of his desk and took out a scroll. Handing the scroll to his friend, he gave the Konoha-nin a respectful nod. "If you do not wish to leave so soon, we have room for you three ladies, should you want rest."

"We already got a good night's rest before we came here, so we're leaving as soon as possible," the only blonde replied with a wink.

Yahiko stood and walked around his desk in order to see his visitors out. "I'll be sure to announce this to my own ninja very soon." He knew his ninja would all fight with Konoha. Despite their bloody past, they could all connect in order to fight for their loved ones and their homes.

"Good luck," Amegakure's leader intoned, watching as the Konoha-nin and his brother in all but blood left his office.

**VvVvV**

(Mother Island)

Training had lasted until Naruto felt as if he wasn't going to be able to stop himself from seriously hurting his fellow ninja. Although he could maintain some semblance of control with two tails of chakra flailing behind his back, the urges haunting his thoughts put that into jeopardy.

When the feelings began to increase, he restrained himself. Naruto knew the telltale signs of drawing on more of the powerful chakra and he didn't want to risk anyone's safety.

After their training, Gamakichi had saluted his summoner and vanished back to his home. Itachi caught some food for them and now, they were all sleeping. Well, everyone except for Naruto. Jiraiya hadn't returned yet, and the blonde chunin had volunteered to stay up.

A moon would've been nice to stare at while waiting for the perverted hermit. It was a shame that there were clouds obscuring it. Organizing his thoughts would've been helpful, especially since he was still so conflicted in using the Kyuubi's chakra.

Yet, the fox itself was more amused than anything when Naruto had visited to ask for more chakra. Rather than attempt to sway the blonde with nefarious, unreasonable bargains like he had expected, it simply gave Naruto more of its chakra and let him be without so much as a taunting remark.

Naturally, Naruto thought the fox was up to something, but there was precious little it could actually do while sitting behind those bars.

"Staring at the sky, Naruto?"

Naruto didn't flinch. Jiraiya hadn't been suppressing his presence, most likely due to the fact that the other members of the team were sleeping peacefully- or at least as peacefully as trained ninja _could_ sleep.

Still, as much as he wanted to ignore Jiraiya and sulk in the darkness, he knew it wouldn't help either of them. "What do you want, Jiraiya-sensei?" Naruto tiredly said, not bothering to look down at the man.

Jiraiya walked up the tree trunk and onto the branch Naruto was sitting on. Plopping down right next to the jinchuriki, the hermit raised his head to look up at the sky as well. "I just wanted to come check up on my prized student," the man conversationally began. "How did it go, anyway?"

Naruto grunted disdainfully. "It went fine."

"Look, Naruto, I'm sorry for forcing this on you."

"You sure don't sound like it," the blonde sourly replied.

Running a hand through his long mane of hair, Jiraiya continued, "Naruto, how old do you think I am?"

"Around forty-five, maybe?" he guessed.

Jiraiya blanched at Naruto's estimate. Damn, he thought he looked much younger than that... "Uh, no. I'm almost fifty-three, Naruto, and I've lived long enough to watch more than enough of my friends die." Naruto was silent. "I fought through the Second and Third Great Shinobi Wars, and let me tell ya kid, it's not fun."

"Kakashi-sensei mentioned that," Naruto muttered.

"Really? Huh, I thought he would've kept that sort of thing private." The hermit shrugged and turned to his student. "Since I still feel guilty, how about I make it up to you?"

The blonde blinked and then gave his teacher an incredulous look. "Are you trying to bribe me or something, Jiraiya-sensei?"

"What? No!" The man waved his hands defensively before huffing. "Naruto, I heard what you and Tenten were talking about. If you really think Konoha's ninja are just going to treat you like that, then you've got another thing coming. Even if they all decide to go against what they were taught, you sure as hell know that me, Kakashi, your girlfriend-"

"She's not my girlfriend," Naruto groaned. He dragged a hand down his face, but couldn't keep a slight grin from forming. "Why do you keep saying that? Tenten's just a friend!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the hermit drawled, grinning alongside the blonde. He stopped and gazed back at the cloudy sky. "Is that enough, or do I have to keep talking? I can keep repeating words everyone's going to tell you if you want," he jovially said.

"Saying stuff like that is one thing, but believing them is something else," Naruto pointed out. "I already figured I'd rather forget everything that happened."

"Oh? Mind telling me why?" Jiraiya asked, curiosity piqued.

Just then, the clouds parted, revealing the crescent moon in all of its glory. Light shined down from the heavens, scaring parts of the darkness away and bathing the two chatting ninja in pale white. Despite what they were speaking about, Naruto couldn't help but feel his spirit being uplifted.

Letting the pale light wash over him, Naruto sighed. "I don't like using the Kyuubi's chakra, but I know how useful it can be. When I was drawing on it today, I could match Itachi's speed. The only real problem was making sure I didn't hit too hard," he joked.

Naruto recognized that people were going to die. Kakashi had told him about his experiences with war and the blonde had already seen his fellow Konoha-nin die. Obviously, faith was being placed in him to control the Kyuubi's chakra and properly harness it in order to save lives. He wasn't about to let everyone down for his own petty reasons.

The blonde jinchuriki would rather bear the burden of that chakra than watch his friends and loved ones die.

"To be honest, as selfish as I want to be, it's pointless to act stubborn. A Hokage has to make sacrifices. As long as I don't hurt anyone, I'll be fine for the moment," Naruto stated. Saying it before made him feel resigned to the situation, but Itachi and Tenten hadn't treated him differently so far, and their behavior had emboldened him.

A large hand clapped him on the shoulder. "I think I could've said it better myself, but you're getting there," the hermit remarked, eyes glinting in humor.

Naruto swatted the hand away, trying to glare at his teacher but failing miserably. Despite what was being forced on him and their previous discussion, he couldn't make himself stay angry at the perverted hermit. The man had told Naruto who his parents were, and the blonde was still grateful for that bit of knowledge.

What orphan didn't want to know who they were related to, or who their parents were? A sense of belonging was what most of them wanted, especially if they had been raised alone like Naruto had.

"What were you going to say, Jiraiya-sensei?"

Jiraiya gave his student a lopsided grin. "Well, brat, you can already use the Rasengan, right?" Naruto nodded affirmatively. "What if I told you that your old man's jutsu wasn't complete?"

Naruto tilted his head inquisitively. "Not complete? How could it not be complete when it shatters bark and rock like they're wet paper?"

"The Yondaime Hokage never managed to finish it," Jiraiya explained. "In fact, it's meant to have a chakra type added to it."

"So it combines shape and nature transformation?" Naruto guessed, raising an eyebrow.

The hermit nodded. "Yep. I've never managed to improve upon it, but I think you could do it. It's something other than training in the Kyuubi's chakra, at least," he stated.

"I don't understand how I'm supposed to do that though," Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

A low laugh escaped Jiraiya's lips. "Don't worry, brat. I'll help you out. You can use clones for this too, so we can kill two birds with one stone."

"In under a week?"

"Like I said, don't worry," Jiraiya reassured. "With me as your teacher, you can do anything."

Naruto rolled his eyes and yawned. He jumped down from the branch and touched down lightly on the ground before walking over to where his bedroll was spread out on the grass. Trusting his teacher to act as the team's watch, the blonde slipped into bed, not bothering to change.

The perverted hermit watched Naruto's breathing even out and smiled. He sure felt glad now that that nonsense was over.

* * *

><p><strong>Yahiko knows about Naruto's jinchuriki status. So does everyone in Yahiko's office. Kiri is being dragged into war as well, while Iwa is, at the moment, a non-entity to Konoha and friends.<strong>

**I can't have Naruto be angry at Jiraiya for a long time. It just isn't feasible with what Jiraiya's said to him about his heritage.  
><strong>

**However, I hope I made Naruto's behavior out to be normal considering the circumstances surrounding him. If there are any discrepancies, let me know via review or PM.**

**Until next time.**


	29. Security

**A/N: Let's see what you guys think. If there are any continuity errors, typos, or anything like that, please let me know. If you think I could've done something better, let me know as well!**

**As always, read and enjoy.**

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><p>Chapter Twenty-nine: Security<p>

(Jiro Island)

Jiro Island wasn't like its brethren.

Mother Island had a thriving village on it, complete with large buildings, food stands, and tourist attractions. Its climate was mild, its people friendly, and the wildlife generally harmless.

Taro Island did not have a population center, instead being a biological wonderland. Expeditions by eager researchers were occasionally planned so that the fauna could be closely studied.

The other, ill-spoken isle was different. On one side of the landmass, rocky crags jutted out from the steep rock face, making direct approach from that particular location useless. The safer alternative had quick-rising land that made it dangerous for ships to pull up lest they run aground.

Fortunately, ninja weren't hindered by the island's natural barriers. A simple application of chakra allowed the Konoha ninja to stay above the churning, foamy seas and reach their destination without much trouble.

With the skies darkening and clouds stirring, a storm was beginning to brew. Jiraiya wanted to find the facility they were looking for before it started raining. "Are you all ready?" the hermit sternly asked.

Tenten and Itachi nodded first, with Naruto following after taking one last glance at the departing ship Jiraiya had hired. The sailors had been informed where they were taking the ninja once the voyage had started and after an exorbitant sum had been paid up front, courtesy of Jiraiya's wallet.

It was easy to see where they were coming from, though. A dark, cloudy sky and a course towards a possible deathtrap could make even the burliest sailor nervous. Insurance was necessary since the seafarers had families of their own. For that, Naruto couldn't fault them.

The blonde did hope they made it back to their homes safely.

"Are you sure we can find a way back?" Tenten questioned as the four ninja made contact with the gray-colored, gravelly sand.

"Of course," Jiraiya reassured. "I don't know how dangerous this place will be, so focus on the mission. Our objective is to eliminate all hostile presence and possibly destroy the facility just in case we can't prevent our enemies from rebuilding it. We don't need problems arising off of our own coast."

Naruto crouched next to a large, lichen-covered boulder. The lichen itself was glowing a faint green, which was what had drawn his attention to it. The color reminded Naruto of some of the signs in Amegakure the last time he had visited, months ago. "I've never seen anything like this before... do we have glowing plants anywhere in Konoha?" Naruto piped, momentarily forgetting himself.

Jiraiya rolled his eyes at Naruto's actions, but Itachi answered the blonde nonetheless, "That's lichen, Naruto-kun. Konoha does have a variety of glowing fungi, but our plants tend not to shine."

Backing away from the fungus, a slightly irked Naruto fell into step behind his teacher and took his place next to Tenten. Unlike Mother Island, there were sloping hills leading up to the nearby forest, which was where the secret research facility was supposed to be hidden.

Right when they reached the forest, Jiraiya ceased his movements and observed the plant life, frowning as he did so. He scanned the entrance of the forest, apparently searching for something.

"What are you looking for, sensei?" Naruto asked.

Not turning to his apprentice, Jiraiya said, "My _friend_ gave me instructions on where to go. I'm trying to find the mark he left behind."

In order to avoid directly confronting the rest of Jiraiya's team, his source had given him a note on what to look for when the Konoha-nin reached the island. The hint was innocuous and, had anyone not known what to search for, would've been discarded as a part of the natural greenery.

"_What_?"

Jiraiya closed his eyes and sighed at Naruto's outburst. "Quiet, brat! I need to concentrate here," the man growled.

Both of Naruto's eyebrows were raised and he balked at his teacher in obvious bewilderment. "The guy you were talking about came here and left something behind?" he exclaimed.

The hermit felt Tenten begin to stare at him in confusion as well. Jiraiya had hoped not to arouse notice about the man he had been collaborating with. Several easy reasons to not speak to his source had instantly popped up in his thoughts. Many shinobi would outright frown at Jiraiya's confidant.

"Ordinary civilians would not set foot here," Itachi noted. "I assume you have a reason as to why you are keeping your acquaintance's identity from us, Jiraiya-sama?"

"Let's just say that he's not exactly the type of person Konoha ninja should be associating with," Jiraiya answered. His eyes lit up upon finding a dark green, low-lying leaf among a throng of many others similar to it. "Here we are!" he crowed triumphantly, snatching the leaf up.

Itachi's red eyes widened fractionally in realization. "A seal, then..." he murmured.

"A seal hidden on an ordinary leaf," Jiraiya gleefully explained. "There were some signs that I was told to look for and that's how I found this one."

Naruto eyed the leaf dubiously, not quite believing what his teacher and the older Uchiha were saying. Seals could be compressed and hidden, but to be placed on something of that size just seemed like too much of a stretch. Or rather, the blonde just wasn't at that level of sealing skill yet.

"Doubtful, are you?" Jiraiya chuckled to himself and set the leaf on the soft dirt below. Then, the hermit ran through a series of seals, ending with a clap of his hands. The leaf vibrated shortly afterward and literally spun to a different direction. Satisfied, Jiraiya picked the greenery up and tucked it away.

"I've read about orientation seals, but I've never actually seen one up close," Naruto admitted as the group began to travel in the direction the leaf had ended on.

"Don't base them off of the one we're using; this one isn't a normal orientation seal," Jiraiya simply said, ducking under a thin, snaking branch.

The orientation seal interested him, but Naruto quickly found himself wondering why there weren't any animals or insects within the forest they were traversing. In addition, the deeper they traveled, the more the vegetation became... twisted. The branches coiled and twisted around each other, blotting out the sky. Without much light, the forest floor was reduced to layers of dead leaves and dirt.

The silence permeating their surroundings felt unnatural. There was no chirping of birds, no shuffling of animals, and no buzzing of insects. It was entirely silent, and the rustling footsteps of the Konoha-nin sounded deafening to their ears.

Blue eyes anxiously darted around. Naruto was beginning to feel nervous. Four ninja in a dark forest isolated from the population and from decent medical help would spell bad news if an ambush caught them off guard. Anything that went wrong wouldn't be able to be quickly solved.

"Calm yourself, Naruto. We're here."

The blonde jerked in surprise. "Was I really that obvious?" the jinchuriki whispered.

"Oh yeah," Jiraiya remarked. "You two-" he pointed a thumb at Tenten, "-both need to calm down. Being high-strung won't help here. Besides, you have me to save your asses if you get in trouble."

"That doesn't really make me feel better," Naruto flatly replied. Jiraiya put a hand to his chest, an expression of mock-hurt on his face.

Smirking at his unamused apprentice, Jiraiya tapped some branches and subtly pulsed his chakra, probing it in certain areas. The illusion vanished, shimmering away to reveal a large opening cut into a partially buried boulder. "And here we are," the hermit announced.

"A genjutsu?" Tenten didn't have too much practice against genjutsu users, but she thought herself keen at smelling them out. This one had just slipped past her senses. Based on Naruto's grimace, Tenten knew that he probably hadn't been able to detect it either.

"A strong one, too," Jiraiya said with a frown. "I doubt anyone but a highly-trained adept would find it unless they already knew what to look for and how to crack it."

The illusion itself needed a specific input to be disabled. Despite not being adept in genjutsu, Jiraiya's friend had told him what to expect. Breaking the illusion was simple once he knew what to do.

How had the base been in use right under Konoha's nose? Certainly someone would've recognized the movement of supplies and reported it to a higher authority, be it Konohagakure or Kirigakure.

Without waiting for anyone else, Itachi strode into the opening and entered a wide, dark passageway. Blood-red eyes flitted about and he searched the clean, gray walls for traps. "Jiraiya-sama, I can see hints of traps, but they have been either previously activated or disengaged," the Uchiha informed.

"The walls are pretty tidy, too," Naruto added, jumping into the passageway himself and running a finger down one of the side surfaces. "This place must be being used pretty often. You think they know that we're coming?"

"Maybe," Jiraiya ambiguously muttered. He stepped forward with purpose and passed Itachi, opting to take the lead again. No, there was a reason why the traps were already taken care of. The hermit hadn't thought the guy would go that far, though.

The passageway was not pitch-black, as everyone could more or less see each other without issue. It widened into what could be seen as an ornate hall, with displays of odd, circular patterns etched onto the stone walls. A dim light was emanating from the grooves.

There was no sign of other active traps, nor any hints of security. Naruto sniffed surreptitiously, but didn't catch any incriminating scents. The air wasn't musty though, signifying that there was proper ventilation.

Each Konoha-nin had retrieved their weapon of choice, bar the toad hermit. Naruto had unsealed his claws and Tenten had palmed a kunai. Itachi chose to use a tanto that had been strapped to his back. Jiraiya's skill in close-quarters combat was great enough to render a weapon obsolete.

Eventually, the hallway hit a splitting point. Three paths presented themselves; one led to a descending flight of stairs, another to a different passage, and the final to a simple, wooden door. No identifying labels were visible. If a person did not already know the layout of the base, then they weren't going to be able to find their way through.

However, Jiraiya already had an idea of where to go. The stairs definitely hadn't been there the last time he had visited the base.

"Itachi, you go through the door. I'm going to see what's cooking downstairs and the two brats can go together," Jiraiya ordered. Turning to his apprentice, he gave the blonde a condescending pat on the head. "Don't get into too much trouble, Naruto. I'm sure Tenten will watch over you for me, right?"

Naruto swiped at the hand on his head and shot a glare at his teacher. "Whatever," he grumbled. "Where should we meet up?"

"Send a toad if you get lost. If we need to leave and I can't find you, I'll send one to your location myself. Remember, kill or incapacitate all enemies. If they look harmless or are prisoners, knock them out and move on. For now, we need to clear this place before we think about destroying it," the hermit said.

"Gotcha," the younger ninja replied. Their eyes hardened at the prospect of killing additional ninja, but it wasn't as if they hadn't done so before.

"Good. If you run into anyone that's too tough, don't hesitate to go all out." The statement was directed towards Naruto, who nodded in acceptance a moment later. Satisfied, Jiraiya dashed to the stairs and jumped down with no small amount of grace.

During their exchange, Itachi had vanished, much like the silent assassin he was trained to be. The wooden door didn't look disturbed in the slightest.

Glancing at each other, Naruto and Tenten stalked down their designated path.

**VvVvV**

(With Itachi)

_Foolish_, Itachi thought. The door hadn't even been locked! It was child's play for the Uchiha to quietly open the door and slip inside the room undetected. The room itself wasn't very large, but it did have an assortment of small, steel crates cluttered around.

Nothing about the crates screamed "trap!" or "explosives!" to Itachi's eyes. He figured he might take a closer look after any hostiles he came across were dealt with. On the other side of the rectangular room were two additional doors. Choosing the one on the right, Itachi sidled up to it and listened. When nothing dangerous immediately presented itself, he pushed the door open and continued on his way.

Thanks to a camouflage technique he had filched from an Iwa-nin years ago, the normally hard-to-find assassin was many times more difficult to spot. Extending his own senses and making sure no hostiles were nearby or looking in the direction of the doors helped his stealth as well.

The next area was similar to the previous one, but there were no metal crates. Instead, pots and vials on top of a few tables were seen. Most of them looked inert, but one vial in particular caught Itachi's attention, as its contents were actively writhing and twisting.

Before he could take a closer look, one of the doors on the sides of the room burst upon, and a gray-haired, portly man marched in. He was wearing thick glasses and was muttering incoherently under his breath. A taller, but just as rotund man followed him in.

Itachi stilled his heart rate and patiently waited.

"Where is it? Where is it?" the shorter man mumbled, brushing glass and questionable ingredients aside.

The taller man let out a disdainful scoff. "Like I've told you before, Gosai, organization is key," he said, his blue eyes reflecting boredom.

Gosai grunted. "And like I've told _you_ before, Murasaki, simply leaving the serum be where I've left it makes it easier to retrieve. Ah!" The man grinned widely and picked up the vial Itachi had been interested in. "Of course, it was right in front of me and I never noticed. Something like that always happens," Gosai affirmed.

Murasaki snatched the vial out of Gosai's hands and scrutinized it closely. "Why are the components reacting again? Did Orochimaru-sama not order you to stabilize it under penalty of death?"

"W-Well," Gosai nervously stuttered, "the work was mostly done. It still does what's supposed to do, but..."

"But?"

The Uchiha wanted to hear more, but the two researchers, scientists, or whatever they were left the area, talking amongst themselves. Readying his blade, Itachi decided to trail behind them. Whatever the serum was, if Orochimaru was interested in it, then it couldn't be beneficial to his home.

Once he left the room with the assortment of glassware in it, Itachi reduced his speed. The two... scientists were moving slowly and still muttering under their breaths to each other, showing no situational awareness at all. When they opened a door with a glass pane on it, Itachi waited outside.

Peering through the glass pane from the corridor he was in, Itachi noticed several operating tables with bloody rags on them. Dirty scalpels and knives were haphazardly thrown into toolboxes. Both of the men seemed, if anything, excited to be in what was probably a laboratory.

Uchiha Itachi was an ANBU. Bloody work was work he specialized in and he did it all for the sake of Konoha and its inhabitants. The assassin was not squeamish in any way- he was an excellent ninja, after all- but plain disregard for innocents had always agitated him.

He could kill his emotions in times that necessitated it and do what any ninja had to do, but he was still, at his core, something resembling a human being. It was why he knew he would never have been able to carry out the extermination of his clan, had their extremist plans come close to being carried out.

Itachi shook his head, as if to dislodge his thoughts. Those times had been dark, where the villagers were leery of the Uchiha and they were leery of everyone else. Thoughts of betrayal had been on everyone's mind, if only for the chance to end the suspicion and paranoia.

It nearly drove them to a civil war which would've led to Konohagakure's downfall. Despite his love for his family, he hadn't wanted a bloody war to emerge once more. War itself would've only caused both his home and his clan to suffer, especially with the casualties it would've incurred.

Spying on his loved ones had helped prevent that. The information the Sandaime had revealed had also been instrumental in preventing a rebellion. The Uchiha Clan survived, Konoha survived, and everyone ended up closer because of it. Suspicion wasn't lifted overnight, but the Hokage's faith had helped matters tremendously.

Itachi stifled a sigh. His thoughts were wandering again, as they were prone to doing so every now and then. The prodigious Uchiha refocused on observing the scientists behind the pane.

Strapped onto an operating table was a woman. She was completely nude, but all of her hair had been shaved off and her eyes were squeezed shut. Her lips were twisted into a pained grimace and her skin was unusually pale, nearly white, even. Physique alone made it plain to see that she was a civilian.

Murasaki withdrew a long syringe from his sterile-white lab coat and removed the stopper from the odd vial Gosai had retrieved. Holding it away from his face, the tall man put the needle into the substance within the glassware and siphoned some of the coarse liquid out.

"Are you sure this will work?" Murasaki demurred, gazing doubtfully at the needle in his hand.

"Of course it will work," Gosai snapped. "It worked perfectly on that freak before!" The men weren't trying to lower their voices and their comments easily reached Itachi's attentive ears.

"Yes, but the specimen still has her issues," the other man pointed out with a roll of his eyes. When his acquaintance didn't respond, Murasaki gently grabbed the woman's arm and plunged the needle into a vein.

The effects weren't instantaneous, but the spot where the needle's point broke skin immediately turned an angry red before darkening to a sickly purple. The discoloration slowly inched its way throughout the arm and when it reached her shoulder, the woman's body violently spasmed.

Although his heart was beating normally and any agitation was clamped down on, the Uchiha did not enjoy watching an innocent civilian woman undergo a seizure.

Could he really call himself human when he wasn't jumping in to save her? No, that was more akin to something his brother's blonde friend would do, and Itachi was not a newbie genin, nor an emotionally driven chunin.

Itachi couldn't help but think that it would be better than an emotionless assassin.

Purple had spread throughout the woman's body. Certain areas had short bumps protruding from the skin and Itachi noted that the woman was beginning to breathe more evenly. The shorter scientist was grinning snidely at his fellow researcher.

"You were saying? Of course, someone of your caliber wouldn't know much."

"Perhaps you should pay more attention to the rat," Murasaki retorted.

Gosai put a finger on the woman's neck, which was now light violet instead of deathly pale. "She's alive," the man said. "I told you, the serum works properly. If it can successfully accomplish _this_-" he gestured grandly at the woman, "- then it will work on anyone else. This woman barely had any chakra, too!"

"You don't even know if her organs are functioning properly! Orochimaru-sama won't be pleased if his soldiers die in the middle of combat! What use are they if they can't complete their damn jobs?!"

Thus, the two men resumed their squabbling and bickering before stopping again. A clipboard on a nearby, stained wall was removed and a piece of paper attached to it. Gosai rattled off babble that, to Itachi, sounded like nonsense, while Murasaki languidly jotted down notes.

Itachi caught information about the woman's breathing, heart rate, skin, and other physical descriptors. When Gosai brought out a scalpel, Itachi figured that he'd heard enough. Whatever the serum was, it made the woman look somewhat similar to the mutated, grotesque monsters that usually required a coordinated effort to restrain and kill.

Right as Gosai made to cut into the woman's finger, Itachi quickly and quietly opened the door. Not wanting to take any chances with hidden alarms, the assassin blurred into motion and knocked the two men out. It was best not to get blood onto any documents they may have been withholding.

He searched the bodies and the room for anything of value before sealing the notes- and the vial of serum- he had found into a specific scroll Jiraiya had given him. As Itachi was about to slit the throats of the two scientists, the immobile woman suddenly let out a wet, harrowing cough.

Her pained hacking didn't stop, causing Itachi to cautiously approach her body; he was worried, even if he didn't outwardly show it. Innocent civilian or not, the assassin didn't know everything about what the woman had been injected with.

"Help ...water... please..."

Itachi paused his movements, his Sharingan analyzing what it could of the woman's chakra coils. It wasn't as penetrative as the Byakugan, but it got the job done.

Webbed fingers slowly clenched and unclenched and the woman's ridged chest rose and fell as she breathed. Her chakra was more intense than what an ordinary civilian would normally have, but her heartbeat was also becoming arrhythmic.

He couldn't do anything for her. Aside from various ingredients suspended in off-colored liquid, the base itself was completely dry, and the room they were in was no exception.

Itachi watched as the woman's breaths became shallower and shallower until, at last, her chest failed to rise. Sighing to himself, Itachi completed his gruesome task and sealed away the woman's body into a different scroll.

It was time to move on.

**VvVvV**

(With Naruto and Tenten)

"Which one do we pick?" Naruto whispered.

The two younger ninja were in a closed-air amphitheater of considerable size and were surrounded by a multitude of iron doors. Each one would lead to a different path, but it was impossible to discern what the entrances were hiding. Their choice was, for the most part, up to chance. Bad luck meant that they would likely be found out and attacked, or an alarm would possibly be raised.

Glancing up at the lambent lanterns above, Tenten hummed in thought. "As long as we stop whoever we find, we should be fine, right?"

Naruto cocked his head at her, catching the slight undertones of reluctance in her voice. "You don't sound too happy about having to take their lives," he said.

"I haven't really been in a large-scale battle before like you have," she lowly replied, "and Gai-sensei had us kill some bandits who had broken the law, but that's it. Nothing exciting has happened to me recently."

Tenten hadn't been promoted to a chunin yet. She was still a genin, having been knocked out of the previous chunin exams before she had a chance to prove her worth. Following that, skirmishes and full-blown attacks had happened, further hindering her advancement possibilities.

However, Jiraiya had told the kunoichi that a field promotion was viable if she completed her assigned mission adequately enough. She was the only one on her genin team that hadn't advanced to chunin and she sure as hell didn't want to stay like that.

"Jiraiya-sensei said that we can knock out innocents, prisoners, or anyone who can't really fight back," Naruto said. "If you don't feel up to it, I can take care of everything else." The blonde splayed his clawed fingers out for Tenten to see.

The bun-haired girl simply smirked at her friend. "I'm a kunoichi of Konoha, Naruto. I can handle cutting down some lazy guards." She pinched his cheek and snickered as he growled in annoyance at her. "Jiraiya-sama told me to watch over _you_, remember?"

Eye twitching dangerously, Naruto grumbled, "I hate you so much..." Shaking his head, he continued, "I can send clones to search the other rooms. They can defend themselves, but it's still risky."

Tenten walked up to one of the iron doors. "I don't think that's a great idea," she commented. "You'll need all of your chakra just in case, right?"

An uncertain expression flashed through Naruto's face, but he quickly collected himself. "No, I'm going to send clones. I have more than enough chakra and if we do find someone that we can't handle, then I'll just ask the Kyuubi for some help."

"Are you sure?"

Naruto refrained from laughing. He couldn't help the amused grin that appeared, though. "Tenten, if we're stuck in a bad situation, I'd rather use the chakra to save our lives than not." He wasn't that petty, nor was he that stubborn. Naruto had already accepted its use and had progressed nicely over the week.

At least, Jiraiya thought that he had been progressing nicely. It was kind of hard to tell when Naruto didn't feel any different throughout the training sessions.

"All right. Go ahead," the kunoichi said, assenting to his decision.

Naruto brought his hands together to form a hand seal, but before he could create his clones, a loud banging noise caused him to jump, shattering his concentration and stopping him from completing his technique. Turning his head, he saw Tenten warily walking up to the iron door from where the sound had originated.

The blonde Body Flickered away from where he had been standing and jumped up onto the walls, running up and latching onto a part of the rounded ceiling where there weren't any hanging lamps. A solid clone appeared next to him and leapt down to the left side of the amphitheater, where the noise had come from.

Tenten hugged the grooved stone next to the door and pushed it open with one hand. Contrary to what was common in movies, the hinges did not loudly creak or groan. The door swung open easily- much too easily for what the two Konoha-nin had had in mind.

Nonetheless, a clone was easy to replace. With the real Naruto up on the ceiling and Tenten hiding away from the open door, anyone who destroyed the clone wouldn't be able to prevent an ambush should he or she investigate who was lurking in the amphitheater.

Naruto's clones could defend themselves if the situation warranted it as well.

The clone rushed through the entrance without a trace of hesitation.

A minute passed and the clone's creator waited for a memory or a phantom pain to hit him, but nothing happened. Growing perplexed, he detached himself from the ceiling and landed next to Tenten, who was awaiting an explanation.

Another clone appeared next to Naruto and was immediately dispelled. The first clone that Naruto had sent through the doorway walked out, looking anxious and disgusted. "Boss," the clone began, "you're going to want to see this."

Tenten and Naruto followed the clone into the room and froze at what they saw.

Circular in shape, the room had several holding cells within, each much too small to hold more than one person within. From the ninja's perspectives, the cells were cramped and were probably far too uncomfortable, especially since there were no mats for prisoners to sleep on.

Naruto gnashed his teeth as his rage began to bubble. A guard with his throat torn out was lying face-down on the ground a short distance away, having been the unfortunate target of the clone's own seething anger.

In the cells themselves were what used to be people. Gaunt, thin, and the occasional wound characterized the prisoners. The rags they were wearing hardly classified as clothes and an unfortunate- or possible fortunate- few weren't moving at all.

One in particular was propped up next to a wall, a nasty gash on the side of his attenuated face. All captives were staring straight at ahead with unseeing eyes. They likely didn't even realize that there were ninja of a different allegiance staring at them.

Coughing at the foul stench in the room, Tenten's expression twisted fiercely. She too was radiating concern and anger, and the kunoichi looked ready to gut someone as savagely as possible. "This... this isn't humane," she stated darkly.

"Considering who kidnapped them, I'm not surprised," Naruto muttered. Despite the lingering odor, the jinchuriki was taking deep, measured breaths to prevent himself from snapping and lashing out. Losing control of his emotions would only harm those who were already in bad enough shape.

Ninja were capable of actions that would be considered immoral by many. During times of war, of crisis, exceptions had to be made in order to protect the village. Traitors and infiltrators of Konoha also underwent torture, or worse, by interrogation specialists.

When sensitive information and lives were at stake, the Hokage generally did not care what methods the interrogators used. Other villages would do the same and Konoha was no exception. Civilians would consider such things to be horrifyingly barbaric, but what needed to be done would be done.

It reminded the blonde of his own status. What needed to be done, would be done...

Had he not been a jinchuriki, he likely would've died anyway as a casualty of the destruction and mayhem the Kyuubi had caused. Becoming a sacrifice had probably saved his life and the village itself.

At least, he liked to think of it in that way. It painted his father in a more positive light and Naruto couldn't make himself hate the Yondaime Hokage even with his damnable upbringing.

However, with the exception of spies who voluntarily relayed information to enemy villages, the harming of innocent civilians left a bad taste in Naruto's mouth. He considered such a thing to be universally immoral.

Seriously, why hurt those who couldn't hurt you? What satisfaction could someone possibly derive from that? For the life of him, the blonde couldn't come up with an answer to that question.

Unfortunately, innocents would continue to be hurt. Kakashi had once said that, in the end, no single village or person truly won a war. When ninja fought, no one was excluded from the indiscriminate chaos. That included those who couldn't fight or adequately defend themselves, like the civilians in the false dungeon he was currently in.

"What do we do? We can't possibly save everyone here!" Tenten cried in distress. How many people had had their lives disrupted because of these abductions? How many families had been torn apart?

Naruto stared at the practically comatose civilians. Sighing morosely, he said, "We can't do anything for them right now. I'll leave the clone here just in case anyone comes to check up on them. Let's just keep going."

"What?" Tenten dumbly squawked, blinking rapidly at her friend. Her mind caught up to his words and she scowled at him. "Are you serious? We're just going to ditch them?"

"Carrying them will only slow us down. They're not in any condition to be moving either; some of them still have open wounds!"

Tenten did not look happy. Her posture was rigid, her hands clenched, and her body vibrating with tension. Jiraiya's words echoed in her head and she grudgingly agreed. "...Fine. Let's just get out of this room and check out the others," she snapped, her nostrils flaring slightly.

"Look, I don't like leaving them here either, but what can we do?" Naruto's stomach was still churning at the thought of leaving dead and dying prisoners that were in need of immediate help, but there was nothing he could do. Not without alerting an enemy.

They didn't have a definite way off of Jiro Island and Naruto felt that toads wouldn't be able to accommodate the civilians properly. The upcoming storm wasn't going to help either.

Casting the abducted civilians one last glance, Tenten and Naruto both exited the deplorable prison, leaving the shadow clone to use a Transformation and take the form of the now-dead guard. An enemy checking up on the imprisoned hopefully wouldn't realize anything was wrong until the clone sprang its trap, should the tactic be necessary.

Quietly shutting the door behind them, Tenten walked up to another one. Naruto made to create more shadow clones, as per his original plan, but the kunoichi shook her head at him, effectively telling him that they were going to forsake it. Instead, they were going to do what they had done previously... only without the sound that had startled them.

This time, there were no guards inside. Broken glass was on the floor and torn up papers were overflowing from a wastebasket, but those were pretty dull compared to the thing on top of an oddly clean table.

A decapitated head was just sitting there. It had eyes the color of amethysts, shaggy silver hair, and a ghastly grimace.

Naruto quickly disregarded it and started to search for anything useful. Nothing really looked too important and there were obviously no hostiles present. When he bent down to check the torn papers, Tenten shrieked.

"N-Naruto! It's alive!"

"What?" Naruto approached the head, scanning it for any abnormalities. Seeing none, he turned away. "I don't see anything," he said. He was honestly more interested in Tenten's reaction; he hadn't ever heard her scream like that.

"I could've sworn..." Tenten scowled and huffed.

"What?" Naruto asked again, raising an eyebrow at the disgruntled kunoichi.

"I thought that head... _blinked_," she murmured. Her face reddened in embarrassment at Naruto's blank gaze.

"...Are you all right?" the blonde slowly asked. "That... _place_ was kind of..." He trailed. There were too many words to describe that damnable makeshift prison. Just thinking about it cause his blood to boil.

"I'm fine!" she hissed, glaring at the thing on the table.

Its bloody lips twitched.

"There!" Tenten exclaimed pointing accusingly at the silver-haired head.

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto raised his arms, preparing himself for anything out of the ordinary.

The head opened its mouth, somehow let out a dry cough, and said, "Finally! People... people who aren't from here! Jashin-sama... Jashin-sama will reward you greatly if you get me out of here! He demands sacrifices for those who have wronged Him!"

This time, Naruto was the one who let out a womanly shriek.

Though, who the hell would ever think that a decapitated head would freely speak? Decapitated heads were... well, dead. Depriving the brain of oxygen would do that.

"How the _hell _is this possible...?!"

**VvVvV**

(With Jiraiya)

"What the..."

Jiraiya was currently staring at an incredibly large tank that was holding gallons upon gallons of water. Thick glass reinforced by inscribed seals held the liquid back. While seeing such a thing on an island surrounded by water wasn't necessarily strange in itself, it was what was within the water-filled tank that confused the hermit.

No natural wildlife was in the tank. Instead, loops and rings were suspended in the water, and on the steel bottom were several kunai.

"Interesting, is it not?"

Jiraiya tensed as he turned to see the one he had been looking for. Red hair, a wooden- literally- complexion, and dull eyes stared out at the liquid. A black cloak covered his body, but the hermit knew it wasn't for warmth.

"Sasori," Jiraiya greeted. Despite the amount of times the hermit had spoken to the master puppeteer both directly and indirectly, Sasori's eyes and... _changes_... never ceased to make him uncomfortable. Those eyes had no place on something that could walk and talk like a normal human being.

Then again, the puppet master was technically not quite human.

Sasori nodded once and moved up to the tank of water. It was built into a wall and, from Sasori's position, had no opening that could be seen. The area they were in was meant for observation only. "Did you have any trouble finding your way here?" the puppeteer began.

The pervert snorted. "Of course not," he said. Then, he tilted his head at the redhead next to him. "Out of curiosity, how did you get to this island? When I asked, no other trips had been scheduled here."

"I walked," was Sasori's eloquent reply. "You should count yourself lucky I dealt with the guards before you entered the facility. There were many patrolling the passageways," the redhead remarked.

"I thought this place looked deserted," Jiraiya dryly stated. "Did you find any of those science experiments, by any chance?"

Sasori shook his head. "I doubt I've cleared out everything and this right here-" he gestured at the tank in front of them, "-was much more interesting than I first thought."

"Why?"

Reaching into his robes, the puppeteer brought out a scroll and handed it to the hermit, who warily accepted it. "Read it," Sasori prodded.

Jiraiya slowly unfurled the scroll and scanned through its contents. The words were written in a rapid scrawl and it became clear that he was reading detailed notes. Halfway through, Jiraiya raised his eyes and met Sasori's dull ones. "Experimental procedures regarding marine warfare?" he questioned.

"It explains the monster that has been attacking anyone who strays too close," Sasori replied.

"This can't be all of it..." Jiraiya muttered. "Is this the only bit of information you found?"

"There's bound to be more, but like I said, most of my time was devoted to removing obstacles. There should be at least one successful specimen roaming the base as well, but I haven't found anything like that yet," the puppeteer explained. "Where are the others? Surely you didn't come alone."

"We split up to cover more ground."

Sasori blinked and then asked, "Is that wise? Uchiha Itachi can hold his own, I'm sure, but... Uzumaki Naruto is a jinchuriki, and the other is merely a nameless ninja."

"They can handle whatever comes up," Jiraiya casually dismissed. "If there was someone strong enough to give them trouble, than we would've been found the moment we set foot on the shore. I doubt the snake thought anyone would ever make it in here to begin with, the slippery bastard."

Sasori hummed before walking up to the tank and tapping the glass. "We shouldn't stay in here for too long," he idly stated, "but I'd like to suggest something before this is over."

"And that would be?" Jiraiya asked, crossing his arms over his chest and peering at the puppeteer intently.

The redhead paused, thinking about how to phrase his proposition. Konoha's position would only be a boon and his spies had notified him that _their_ leader wouldn't be so averse to the idea in regards to recent developments. "Have you ever thought about working together with the Tsuchikage and his men?" Sasori conversationally said, as if he were discussing the weather.

Predictably, the hermit stiffened and narrowed his eyes to slits. "I think all of that sawdust has gone to your head," he growled.

"Oh? I thought you, of all people, would've been happy to see such a thing occur. One of your goals is to promote closeness between the villages, is it not?" Then again, Sasori didn't really expect Konoha and Iwa to merrily get along. If they did, it wouldn't be a challenge, and this was one that he relished simply because of how absurd it sounded.

That and the strength such a bond would generate.

"It's not Konoha I'm worried about," Jiraiya rumbled. "After all, we're not the ones who lost the wars. With the existence of the Yondaime's legacy, some may attack him just to get their petty revenge over with."

"Don't be so arrogant as to assume Konoha is the only village seeking peace." The redhead smirked, a minuscule upturn of his lips. "The majority of the genin and chunin will remember your prized Yondaime Hokage as a figment of their imagination, appearing only in horror stories told to misbehaving children. Those old enough to recall are too preoccupied with the issues the Land of Earth is experiencing."

Stopping himself from pacing, Sasori returned his attention to Jiraiya and tilted his head. "You _do_ realize that Iwagakure and Konohagakure are fighting the same enemy, correct?"

"Old sayings won't help bad blood," Jiraiya retorted. "Why are you suggesting this? An alliance won't be necessary in the end."

"Collaboration would hasten your efforts and reduce the death toll. It would help ensure a smooth transition when this war ends, too. The victors will need strength."

The hermit was silent for a moment. Making sure the war was ended quickly and smoothly certainly sounded attractive. Reparations would be easier to fulfill and there would be less issues all around.

"That's... a possibility, but aren't you putting a lot of stock in villages that have traditionally fought each other to the death? It still baffles me that you readily decided to ally yourself with Konoha. We haven't exactly been on the best of terms with criminals."

The puppeteer met Jiraiya's eyes. Yes, it was completely true; Sasori was putting much faith in villages that had long, warring histories. Ordinarily, missing-nin tended to avoid the machinations of the greater villages.

That was where Sasori differed. Ultimately, he needed everything to settle down. Two villages who had shown a great deal of animosity towards each other would provide an excellent example if they endeavored to work together.

As for Sunagakure, it was a burden, one that he had cast off long ago. At this point, it had only come back to haunt him, and frankly, Sasori was sick of it. Of course, Sasori wasn't so delusional as to believe Suna hadn't forgotten what he had done.

"And, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to end the war between the villages," Jiraiya offhandedly commented. "S-rank ninja don't usually pursue the ways of a pacifist."

A mechanical smile appeared on Sasori's wooden face and he said, "Peace is an idealist's pursuit. I just want less trouble."

They lapsed into silence, with Jiraiya wondering what to do. Decisions weren't up to him, but he couldn't help but feel on edge. A spark would be all it'd take to ignite the resentment and the whole thing would explode, leading to more unnecessary catastrophe.

Still, the insinuation that Iwagakure was looking for peace couldn't be thrown away. If Konohagakure and Iwagakure could voluntarily work together, then the other villages could do the same.

Two bitter enemies reconciling their old aggressions would be revolutionary. Such a thing would demonstrate that the warring villages could get along, provided no treachery went into play.

As Jiraiya took a breath, a poof appeared right in front of him. Sasori didn't move, staring at the amphibian with a dull expression. The orange toad ignored the puppet master and croaked, "Yo, Jiraiya-sama! Naruto and the panda girl are in trouble!"

"Trouble?" Jiraiya sharply replied. "What kind of trouble?"

**VvVvV**

(With Naruto and Tenten)

Weapons were raised and trained at the not-quite-dead head. The head, thing, man-_ whatever_- was just grinning like a loon at them. "Guys aren't supposed to scream like that," the head sang, as if being decapitated was a minor hindrance instead of a causation of death.

Naruto tried to stutter a few words in defense of his masculinity, but settled on saying, "How the hell are you _alive_?"

The guy grinned even wider, his eyes shining in adoration. "It is Jashin-sama's will! His power flows through my veins, giving me His strength! I knew Jashin-sama would never abandon me!"

Another series of flowery wording was sung, praising whoever 'Jashin' was supposed to be. Freaky as it was, Naruto couldn't help his intrigue. The Uzumaki wished the head would quiet down, though. "What's your name?" Naruto hesitantly asked, ignoring his friend's incredulous glare.

"I am one of Jashin-sama's prophets!" the man crowed. "My name... my name is Hidan!"

"Where is your..." Tenten coughed and looked away. "...body? Where's the rest of you?"

"It's somewhere in this damned, unholy place," Hidan sniffed. "I can lead you to it. My body and I have a spiritual connection granted to us by-"

"Jashin-_sama_?" Naruto flatly interrupted. The silver-haired head looked like it- _he_- wanted to nod, but couldn't do so.

As much fun as it would be to pick up a bellowing, severed head, Naruto would have to decline. The guy was clearly insane, acting as a priest for what was apparently a variant of an omnipotent god, and the blonde had no intention of hanging around for long.

"Yes, yes! I can even offer a reward in serving under Jashin-sama's eternal glory!" he chimed, giving Naruto and Tenten a wide, bright smile.

The jinchuriki found that he had a sudden urge to shield his eyes.

"What if we say no?" Tenten slowly asked.

Eyes opened widely and a lower lip jutted out in an incredibly unsettling manner. Hidan whined, and whimpered out, "You wouldn't leave me behind, would you? Jashin-sama's ways aren't for everyone, but you shouldn't leave His priests behind! He has taught His prophets tolerance, for it is one of the ways others may convert to His will!"

"How are we supposed to lug you around?" Naruto grunted, not really wanting to carry- much less touch- Hidan. That, and he really couldn't care less about whatever religion the apparent priest was babbling about.

Hidan was about to speak, but the iron door behind the group was shoved open, with a feminine voice saying, "I thought we told you to shut up, you annoying little pest! Orochimaru-sama-"

An angry kunoichi with an Otogakure forehead protector and long, black hair strode in. She wore a flak jacket over a dark green shirt, sleeveless shirt, and had dark camouflage pants. Dark eyes scanned the room, narrowing at the presence of the two Konoha ninja.

Not one to remain surprised in hostile territory, Naruto whipped his right claw through the air, sending out a sharp blade of wind that was aimed at the kunoichi's neck. Blood spilled from her lips as the Wind Cutter cleanly sliced through her chest. She hit the ground with a dull thump.

"Nice aim," Tenten deadpanned. Her eyes drifted towards Hidan before returning to the dead body of the kunoichi.

"_Orochimaru_? That damned heathen! He was the one who locked me up, who poked and prodded me with those disgusting needles!" Hidan screamed in agitation. "Jashin-sama demands his body on a pike!"

Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise. It seemed as if Hidan was more important than they had thought, especially if one of Konoha's most infamous traitors had taken a special interest in him. Plus, Tsunade might want to do some poking and prodding of her own.

Memories floated into his thoughts, and Naruto blanched. His clone had been defeated by an odd, sound-based technique after the Transformation had been seen through and the guard's body found.

"We've got to go," Naruto hurriedly said, pulling out one of his spare sealing scrolls. "Yo, head guy, have you been sealed before?"

"W-What? No!"

"Unless you want to be thrown about while we fight, then we've got to put you somewhere safe."

Hidan acquiesced, if a bit petulantly. After he had been stuffed into the scroll, Naruto said, "Clone found out, gotta kill the guy before he alerts more people."

Tenten accepted the explanation immediately and exchanged her kunai for a longer and more deadly blade. The Konoha-nin burst out the door, just in time to see the guard go through the entrance of another room on the other side of the amphitheater.

"Fuck!" Naruto hissed.

"What do we do now?" Tenten replied, narrowing her eyes at each iron door within the area they were in. Each one potentially housed enemies, or perhaps even experiments that had gone wrong.

The jinchuriki bit his thumb and went through the seals required for a summoning. Gamakichi appeared in front of him, clueless expression and all. "Hey! What's up, brother? Where are we-"

An iron door swung open and several guards with Otogakure forehead protectors funneled in. All of the Oto-nin were wearing the same monochromic color scheme and they didn't look too happy to have intruders.

"Trespassers," one of the ninja growled.

"Look at their forehead protectors," another grunted.

"They came from the insane priest's room! Kill them before they can leave!"

Well, at least they hadn't moved to block out the only exit from the amphitheater. The hallway Naruto and Tenten had come from was still free, but the Oto-nin would definitely complicate matters. Going through the other doors was also an option, but the Konoha-nin had no idea where that would lead them.

Gamakichi croaked at the sight of so many hostile ninja. "Whoa, bro! I'm not big enough to do anything like this yet! Should've summoned Gama, man!"

"Get the old pervert! Let him know we've been found out!" Naruto ordered, glaring at the toad to get his point across.

The orange toad vanished in a puff of smoke just as several of the eight Oto-nin completed their seal sequences. Tenten, after stowing away her blade, had unrolled the scrolls she usually toted around, causing the weapons that were sealed within to eject and go flying rapidly at the contingent of ninja.

Their enemies powerfully spit out a vast amount of water, enough to wreak considerable havoc despite the size of the amphitheater. The pressurized water would've prevented the majority of steel from making contact with the group of Otogakure ninja, but Naruto opened his mouth and unleashed a Great Breakthrough to accelerate them.

With Naruto's help, the metal objects that had been launched from Tenten's scrolls punched through the sprays of water that nearly shot them down. The objects weren't usually used as thrown weapons. Maces, axes, thin swords, and other tools forced a few enemy shinobi to move and stop expelling water in order to avoid having their bodies crushed or impaled.

The three shinobi that hadn't aided their allies in casting Suiton techniques were attached by the soles of their feet to the ceiling, where they were gathering their chakra. Unfortunately, the collaborative attack the Konoha-nin used hadn't scored any fatalities or injuries.

However, the area _had_ just been hosed down. The thin film of liquid covering the floor had lost the chakra that had created and guided it, and was thus available for Naruto to use.

"I can't use explosive tags, can I?" Tenten grumbled, unsealing a case of oddly curved throwing knives that were promptly strapped to a belt wrapped around her waist.

"At this point, I don't think it matters." Two clones appeared next to them as Naruto's claws began flashing through a set of seals. He still wasn't proficient with this particular jutsu, but it would be useful for its strength and shock value.

The clones took off, intercepting the charging Oto-nin. Tenten, catching Naruto's hand movements in the corners of her eyes, instead opted to throw her knives with unerring precision. Distracted by Naruto's two clones, the enemy shinobi were not able to evade the kunoichi's projectiles.

One of the ninja on the ceiling growled as he watched his comrades fall to their knees, blood flowing freely from deep wounds on their torsos or necks. "You'll get yours, bastards!" he bellowed.

"Suiton: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu," the blonde murmured in reply. An aqueous reptile rose from the floor, dragging much of the water with it. It wasn't as large as it could've been, merely being double the size of Naruto's wingspan in rough circumference, but rushed up towards its targets regardless.

Finishing their preparations, the Oto-nin slammed their hands on the ceiling. A large amount of smoke exploded downward, engulfing the dragon's head as it plowed into its enemies.

What remained of the dragon trickled back down to the stone floor, along with a person's figure. The newcomer, wearing haphazard bandages throughout her body, stared dully at Naruto and Tenten. She completely disregarded the crippled bodies around and near her.

Running a hand through her wet, ragged purple hair, the kunoichi sighed disappointingly to herself. "Useless," she whispered. "All of them, useless." Her voice was breathy and husky, and her pale skin so white it seemed to shine in the dim light of the amphitheater.

"Who are you?" Naruto loudly asked, eying the newcomer carefully. She was rather attractive and the bandages would've done wonders to his libido, but he couldn't afford to get distracted.

"Trash from Konoha shouldn't be here," the kunoichi announced. She coughed a few times before taking a deep breath. She hated the surface, but she'd do what Orochimaru wanted. He had saved her, after all.

The kunoichi bit her finger and slammed it onto the ground. Instead of smoke, gallons upon gallons of water rushed out and quickly flooded the area. Naruto and Tenten both steadied themselves as the incoming liquid caused them to stumble.

On top of a giant, scarred turtle that nearly filled up her half of the amphitheater, the kunoichi huffed- quite loudly, too. "Know that this is your end at the hands of Isaribi," she grandly declared. Her summon opened its beak-like maw and began spewing copious amounts of water into the amphitheater.

It was positioned to block out the only exit out of the room. With the exception of the door behind the Konoha-nin, all the other iron doors were sealed completely shut.

The water level was slowly rising.

* * *

><p><strong>That's that. I figured this was a good place to end since I don't usually write 9-10k word long chapters.<strong>

**Sasori was Jiraiya's source, Hidan was planned, and Isaribi was too. If anyone watched that filler (that was so long ago when I saw it), then you'd realize that she's a lot different here. For one, she has a turtle summon. I know Gai has something similar, but I'll assume his are primarily tortoises, whereas Isaribi's will be sea turtles.  
><strong>

**Some new techniques will be coming up next chapter in Naruto and Tenten's desperate attempt to avoid drowning.  
><strong>

**As always, if there are any errors, please let me know!  
><strong>


	30. Flow

**A/N: Ending of the Land of Sea arc. Please tell me what you think and leave a review/message if there are any errors, continuity or not, that you spot. Thanks, and please enjoy.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Thirty: Flow<p>

Water was crucial. It was what made settlements possible, even if they were situated in the middle of the blistering hot, harsh desert like Sunagakure no Sato was.

No matter where a person went, where water flowed life sailed with it. Rivers could be a source of clean drinking water and seas a source of easily replenished food. Floods helped refresh soil and rain invigorated crops.

However, the pristine, life-giving liquid was not always caring. Those same floods that helped bring nutrients to the soil could sweep away villages and homes. The rains that ended droughts could swell the oceans and destroy coastal settlements.

Humans were not aquatic by nature. They could not survive underwater without external support. If the air above the surface could not be reached, drowning was a definite possibility.

Asphyxiation was just as capable of stealing life as macabre wounds and broken bones.

Kirigakure's navy was particularly notable for abusing that repulsive tactic. A fortified ship floating in the ocean manned by Suiton users was a dangerous enemy when the safety of land couldn't be easily reached.

Naruto and Tenten were as susceptible to drowning as anyone else. Konoha had no use for breathing apparatuses, after all. Their usage was just too situational for ninjas that primarily functioned on land.

The giant, dark green turtle remained immobile. It didn't need to move, given the enclosed area the three ninja were in. All the scarred reptile was doing was spewing out gargantuan amounts of water with the intention of filling up the amphitheater and cutting off the air supply of the intruders.

That much was obvious to the two Konoha-nin. What they didn't know was why the other kunoichi would do such a thing and why her summon was continuing the effort if the ninja its species held a contract with would die.

Why attempt to drown the interlopers if she would eventually drown as well? It seemed like a waste of life. Or, from a heartless standpoint, a waste of manpower.

Then again, Naruto didn't really understand how an Oto-nin's mind worked. He didn't understand why anyone would undergo gruesome surgery and experimentation that could potentially permanently alter their body into something not quite resembling a human being.

Sure, there was the prospect of additional power, of additional strength, but was the chance worth it? Surely the chance of death, of becoming something not entirely human would drive people away? They were human too, right? Why would they trade their humanity for simple strength?

The blonde knew of the monstrous berserkers. Surviving Konoha ninja would come home and spread their tales about those who were practically beasts in ravaged, fleshy shells. They were monsters in all but origin and Naruto was unsure as to why someone would treat themselves so.

Most of the iron doors were tightly shut, bar the one to the room where Hidan had been found, and the one where the prisoners were located. Anger briefly bubbled within him, but Naruto forced it down and focused on the issue at hand.

"Naruto!" Tenten cried, stowing away what remained of her throwing knives, "We need to get this big lug to move or else we're as good as gone!"

"If you have explosive tags, now's the time to use 'em!" Naruto replied. Their foe didn't seem to be actively participating and was only lazily watching them from her perch on top of the turtle's brown, speckled shell.

Reaching into one of the pouches strapped to her waist, Tenten withdrew the volatile tags, some kunai, and the wire necessary to tie it all together. Although she was a walking armory when it came to weapons, Tenten only had a few explosives on her person.

Naruto had a lot more. Much of it had been created on his own time once he had obtained the necessary expertise in the sealing arts. His tags weren't professional grade, but they still went _boom_ and would therefore get the job done.

Hopefully.

Once the tags were strung, the steel knives they were attached to were thrown with extreme prejudice. The giant turtle's reaction was worrying; it didn't seem to care or notice the deadly weapons flying at its open maw. Certainly a summoned creature would have some knowledge of shinobi weapons and tools?

Isaribi clapped her hands together and tendrils of water as thick as Naruto's torso rose up from the rising liquid, grabbing and batting away the explosives. Once the tags were drenched and completely useless, their foe laughed.

"Isaribi doesn't know why you keep fighting. Isaribi likes seeing people cry though, so please keep trying!" she called out in a sing-song tone of voice. It grated on the Konoha-nin's nerves.

Scoffing, Naruto handed a roll of balled up explosive tags to his friend. "Ignite one and throw it. We should've known something was up when she didn't attack. I'll distract her," he whispered.

The thought of destroying parts of the stone walls crossed his mind, but Naruto didn't know where they led and he didn't want to bring the roof down. Plus, it was entirely possible that Isaribi would prevent that from happening.

Tenten hesitated, but not for long. She had more than enough faith in Naruto's abilities and knew from firsthand experience how annoying his shadow clones could be. She tensed her body and prepared to search for an opening as she moved away from the jinchuriki.

A contingent of fourteen clones materialized next to Naruto, each ready to provide a painful disturbance. As much as he wanted to, simply creating an army wouldn't have helped, and would only have caused panic. The amphitheater they were in had a finite amount of space and therefore less maneuverability.

Having already had a plan in mind, ten blonde doppelgangers fanned away from the main group in an attempt to flank the giant marine animal and its master from two sides. The remaining five decided to try and shut the turtle's maw up with the most available substance in the area.

The turtle's powerful flippers were shoved forward, creating small, but fast-moving sinuous waves that caught several clones on its right side unawares. Isaribi herself sent out an additional series of aqueous whips that curled around nearby clones and strangled the life out of them.

The sea witch laughed the entire time the clones were caught and strangled. The evident disappointment on her face when she got puffs of smoke as a reward for her efforts wasn't reassuring.

Another dragon made up of water rose from the rising pool, its glowing yellow eyes glaring at the opponent it was supposed to be directed at. It wasn't really alive, but the eyes did make for a useful intimidation tactic if its enemies were weak-hearted.

Two clones, having had more chakra deliberately pumped into their creation, were controlling the blue dragon. Behind them were the other three blondes, amongst which the real Naruto was standing. They had attached themselves to the nearby wall in order to obtain the improved positioning their plan required.

They probably wouldn't get another chance with the way Isaribi was destroying the clones. Naruto didn't know if the door to the prison would hold since it wasn't securely shut, but the laboratory where Hidan's head had been found had already been submerged.

What Naruto needed was a focused, condensed burst of wind. The Great Breakthrough technique was wider than what was practically required, so he and his clones chose to use the Gale Palm.

Due to their higher positioning, they were able to propel the Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu forward much faster than if it had been launched on its own. The chakra infused in the dragon forced it to rotate, and what was once a life-like creature of water was now a rapidly spinning, quickly moving liquid drill.

Isaribi's efforts were now focused on stopping the pseudo-drill, but a few of Naruto's surviving clones were still trying to get close enough to harm her. Her attention was divided, and the relatively small amount of space she had to work with wasn't doing her any favors.

Tenten took her chances as Naruto's technique neared its target.

Isaribi's summon couldn't move from its position and took the brunt of the technique right in its jaws. Groaning loudly, the turtle recoiled and instinctively snapped its head back. Despite the strength of Naruto's technique, the sea turtle remained unmoved. However, it was apparent that its ability to vomit water had been temporarily stifled.

Then, the kunai the ball of explosive tags was attached to exploded in its face. Tenten flashed the blonde jinchuriki a thumbs up and waited for the water and mist the explosion had kicked up to fade so that both Konoha-nin could see the damage the summon had incurred.

When the spray of water and mist did clear, Naruto felt a heavy Killing Intent saturate the area. The sea turtle looked unharmed, but Isaribi had a pulsing, violet aura around her. The chakra oozing from her pores felt utterly disgusting.

Her bandages had fallen away. Smooth, pale skin had darkened to a murky gray-green, and what seemed to be scales had replaced flesh. Webbed fingers swayed at her sides and in place of human ears were veined, purple flaps. Her feet too were webbed and a dorsal fin protruded from her back.

Gills could be seen undulating on her neck.

"This is how far an Oto-nin would've gone..." Naruto murmured after seeing the grotesque form Isaribi had taken. He raised his arms and Tenten retrieved another scroll from one of her pouches.

Isaribi was panting heavily, her eyes trained on her two enemies. The kunoichi's arms and fingers twitched and her lips widened. "Isaribi... Isaribi is sad... sad... Trash like you making Isaribi use Orochimaru-sama's gift!" she screamed.

Tenten ignored the screeching kunoichi. She shot Naruto a significant glance and unfurled the scroll she had retrieved, aiming the inked side at their foe. When another series of metal weapons were sent at the girl, Naruto and his remaining clones sped them up with another burst of wind.

"No, no! Isaribi will not allow this to happen! Isaribi and Demizu-kun will kill you and make Orochimaru-sama happy!" she screamed, already causing the water near her to rise up defensively.

When the sea turtle quickly resumed its task of filling the amphitheater up with water, Isaribi used the liquid surrounding her to absorb the speeding weapons and cast them aside. Then, the liquid around her was split up into thin needles, hardening into something resembling ice.

With maneuverability constantly dwindling, Tenten had to rely on Naruto to blow the needles away. He did so, but was forced back as Isaribi dashed up to him with surprising speed, still shrouded in that artificial chakra cloak of hers.

The kunoichi was much faster than he thought and Naruto was hard-pressed to actually land a damaging hit. As she struck and nimbly bent, her vocal chords constantly gurgled, making her sound like a gibbering lunatic.

An opening presented itself and Naruto took his chance. However, Isaribi fell through the murky water and vanished right before his eyes. "Keep your eyes open, Naruto!" Tenten cried. In her hands were two dagger-like short swords, each of which had a wicked, curved blade.

The four remaining clones the blonde had by his side spread out. Two clones kept a wary eye out while the other two headed towards the summoned animal. Trying to reach Demizu ended up being pointless, as the water would rise to strike and dispel any clone who got too close.

"Damn it," Naruto hissed. If they couldn't move the damn thing, they were going to drown. Killing the summoner could make the sea turtle pop back to where it came from, but that wasn't a guarantee.

At this point, he was willing to do whatever it took to survive. Isaribi was obviously not going to stop attacking and Naruto wasn't going to try to persuade her otherwise. It was quite clear that there were a few screws missing in her head the moment she was brought to the amphitheater.

Something cold and slimy wrapped around Naruto's ankle and he was quickly jerked down into the pool of water. Once submerged, he felt sharp claws rake his chest before a powerful kick to the abdomen sent him spinning away.

Luckily, he had managed to breathe deeply before being attacked. The low visibility underneath the surface wasn't doing him any favors, though, and neither was the pain.

Naruto attempted to create a Rasengan, but his focus was easily shattered. Another set of sharp claws tore through his back just as he began to rotate his chakra and he had to bite his tongue to keep from crying out.

Ignoring the blood flowing from his wounds, Naruto swam directly up. Isaribi- whose swimming level was unparalleled due to her flippers- made sure he didn't escape.

She was toying with him. That much, Naruto knew. If he didn't do something quick, it was likely that he was going to black out. Superficial wounds he could ignore, but an acute lack of oxygen was not something he figured he wanted to experience.

Desperate, he shot out his chakra chains. Both of them were grabbed and he felt the chain protruding from his right hand be pulled down. Isaribi had presumably grabbed that one and one of his clones above the surface had hopefully grabbed the second.

He felt a strong tugging on the one chain that had managed to break the surface and all of a sudden, he was outside of the rising liquid, coughing violently in an effort to expel invasive liquid from his lungs.

"Are you all right? You're bleeding!" Tenten worriedly asked, jumping over to him. "How did you get out of there? I just saw you disappear, and..." She bit her lip and trailed off.

"It was a Replacement I modified," Naruto sputtered, his chest heaving. Dull throbbing racked his torso, but the blonde was sure the pain would abate shortly.

Ordinarily, the Replacement Technique worked with inanimate, stationary objects because they couldn't resist and were easy to spot. It was much more difficult to do with animate objects who had free will. In addition, for the technique to work, a ninja needed to know exactly where to switch.

Naruto's chains acted as a link, one that allowed him to safely escape from Isaribi. As soon as his clone had found purchase, he made the chain that his enemy had grabbed dissipate and then proceeded to swap positions with his doppelganger.

Bubbles rose from underwater as Isaribi forcibly dispelled the clone he had left behind.

"We need a plan to deal with this girl," the bun-haired kunoichi murmured. "I can't hit her if she's underwater, but we can stop her if you can get your chains to restrict her from moving or escaping."

His other clones were gone. Making another group of shadow clones would probably be smart and Tenten's plan was as good as any at the moment. Distracting Isaribi would be helpful.

As Naruto raised his arms to call forth another group of solid clones, tendrils of water snapped up from the surface of the liquid and wrapped around Tenten's midsection. The kunoichi gasped in surprise and then cried out as she was flung towards a wall.

Water sprayed up and Isaribi revealed herself. "Isaribi does not like being deprived of her toys," she declared, sounding a lot more sane than before.

Anger boiled through Naruto's veins when he saw Tenten hit the stone with a dull crack. Whatever precious little time they had was vanishing quickly and his ineptitude had caused his friend to get hurt.

The blonde was too pissed to be surprised by his foe's reappearance. Isaribi didn't really qualify as someone too far outside his skill level, but Naruto didn't care. She was going to pay. His friend was not going to die, not on his watch.

Delving deep into his mind, Naruto drew upon the massive stores of otherworldly chakra the Kyuubi had given him access to. The shock and excitement that coursed through Isaribi's expression was more than enough of a challenge, and with a guttural roar, a true chakra cloak enshrouded Naruto's body.

The sea witch in front of him was going to pay for hurting his friend.

**VvVvV**

(Unknown Location)

...Only it wasn't so unknown. Naruto knew where he was, but it didn't ease his confusion. After his _meeting_ with the Kyuubi earlier on in the week, the fox had been rather lenient. All Naruto had needed to do was find its reservoir of power and draw on it.

This time, however, instead of immediately calling on the noxious, powerful chakra or having to walk through the sewers that constituted the realms of his mind, he'd been dropped squarely in front of the titanic Tailed Beast itself. The dim lighting had brightened to to the point where the beast's full body- jaws, arms, tails and all- was revealed in its full glory.

The Kyuubi was still wearing its amused, fanged smile like the last time Naruto had encountered it.

Wondering why he had to speak with the Biju this time around, Naruto frowned up at it and plainly asked, "What the hell happened?" He sounded a lot more calm than he felt, considering what was occurring outside of his head.

The beast shifted its body slightly, as if it was trying to move into a more comfortable position. Absently, Naruto noted that the water level was rising in his mind as well. Pipes that lined the ceiling and walls were slightly cracked, causing foul liquid to drip down onto the waist-deep water.

"**I understand there is an important battle that you are partaking in,**" the beast rumbled, its red slitted eyes darting away from Naruto and looking up at the cracked pipes adorning the ceiling.

"Isaribi was more powerful than I thought. I can't defeat her without you," Naruto reluctantly admitted, sounding chagrined and angry at the same time. He looked up at the Kyuubi and added, "Why did you bring me down here? This didn't happen the last time I asked for your chakra..."

Again, the Kyuubi shifted, raising its massive head so that most of the bottom half of its snout wasn't being soaked by dirty sewer water. "**Why are you so quick to indulge yourself with my strength when you are perfectly capable of handling the matter yourself?**" the fox asked in response.

"She's stronger than I thought, and if I don't act quickly, Tenten and I are going to die," Naruto snapped. Then he raised an eyebrow as he registered the beast's choice of words.

The Kyuubi chortled, its deep voice reverberating throughout its cage. "**Yet, you do not wish to release me. I could destroy all of your problems without so much as an afterthought,**" it rumbled. The fox tilted its head. "**I do not think I am going to be the one vanquishing your enemies this time, however.**"

Naruto furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about, Kyuubi?"

Tremors shook the ground as the large Biju decided to raise its body, settling back on its haunches and leering down at its blonde host. "**Is your memory damaged? Do you not remember what happened?**"

The jinchuriki, having pushed himself up on top of the water's surface with chakra, shook his head. Come to think of it, the anger he was feeling was much more intense than when he usually was within his mind. Clamping down on his emotions was essential to controlling the Kyuubi's chaotic chakra.

"My friend... she got hurt, didn't she?" Naruto bitterly said as the memories came rushing back. He felt shamed to have left her behind in the pursuit of short-sighted vengeance. "I haven't lost control, have I?"

"**No,**" the Kyuubi replied. "**Allowing you to lose your self-restraint would be disastrous. I can repair your form from bloody wounds, but your brain is another matter. I cannot save you from drowning and I have no intention of playing prisoner to a vegetable. My chakra is not a substitute for what you humans breath.**"

"So you saved me by stopping me," Naruto slowly muttered. He chuckled to himself and shook his head in mirth. The irony was not lost on him. "Thanks for that, I guess."

The great beast lowly growled and Naruto backed up half a step in caution. He didn't think he had said anything incriminating and, so far, the Kyuubi had been genial to him for some unfathomable reason.

Returning the favor had only seemed right since the fox hadn't tried to skewer him or shower him with threats concerning the murder of those precious to him. Naruto could be a very accepting and understanding individual when he wanted to be.

The Kyuubi not acting as a hostile, aggressive monster was a bit unnerving, though. Once the chunin exams had ended, all exposure to the beast had been kept to a minimum. Nothing verbal between the two had come out of the loosening of Naruto's seal all those months ago.

Naruto had expected the Kyuubi to be angry after being ignored for so long, or at least cynical towards him. Had what minimal conversation they'd had earlier on in the week sated the fox?

That might've been the case, as its behavior made it more approachable than what the blonde remembered. The Kyuubi still didn't seem _too_ friendly, however.

Naruto didn't feel as bothered as he felt he should've been by this unseen development.

Oddly enough, their small conversation kept his mind off of the anger he'd initially been feeling. However he and Tenten weren't out of danger yet, and the amount of water in the amphitheater was getting ominously close to cutting off their air supply.

"**Do not thank me. I am merely acting in self-interest. Reconstitution is not a pleasant ordeal,**" the fox growled.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto cried, waving his hands in front of his body in an indignant manner. "There's no need to get snippy! I was just returning the favor since you're, you know, _not_ trying to destroy everything I hold dear."

What kind of a giant, destructive beast gets defensive over gratitude?

"**Threatening your accursed village is not something that would be productive from your current location,**" the beast said. "**As long as you continue down the path you have chosen for yourself, I will hold no objections.**"

A chill went down Naruto's spine and he involuntarily shivered. "What... what are you talking about?" the jinchuriki whispered. When the Biju didn't reply, Naruto walked closer to the cage and yelled, "What do you mean "the path I have chosen for myself"?"

The jinchuriki didn't want to believe in fate. Neither did the Kyuubi, based on the way it was speaking.

"**Your deepest desires and fears are not hidden away from the world. They run through this _mind_ of yours and appear before me. Unlike the others, you have used my chakra. Unlike the others, you have stood before me. Your thoughts are not as exclusive as you believe, Naruto,**" the demon finally stated.

Naruto didn't know what to say. If the Kyuubi knew his thoughts, then it practically knew everything about his life. Was this why the demon's attitude had been relatively amicable? No deals were offered and no crippling demands were made.

They were simply chatting about preserving both of their lives and beyond.

"You... you're not like I thought you were," the perplexed blonde murmured. "Who are the-"

Before Naruto could finish his sentence, the area he was in began to tremble. The Kyuubi gave him another one of its twisted smiles before his vision swam and spun. Darkness fell over his eyes and all too suddenly, he was in another wet, flooded area with a grotesque kunoichi glaring madly at him.

No time at all appeared to have passed, but the roiling, red chakra that he'd been using had vanished, seeping below his skin and away from his use. Isaribi did not appear to be pleased.

"Naruto, stick to it!" Tenten hissed. Her left arm was hanging at an odd angle. Fortunately, she was still on her feet and didn't look too worse for wear, arm excepted.

"_...you are perfectly capable of handling the matter yourself..._"

What a confusing fox. Naruto still didn't know what it had been hinting towards, or what had caused such a drastic change in its demeanor. He'd raise those points with Jiraiya and the old man later. For now, he had an angry sea witch to deal with.

Chakra chains burst from his palms, flying towards Isaribi. The sea witch merely gave the blonde an affronted expression before sinking into the large pool of liquid once more. By now the majority of Demizu's shell was hidden underwater.

Two clones appeared at his sides and jumped away. When the inevitable grasp around his ankle came to pull him under, Naruto allowed himself to sink. Claws again tore at his sensitive, newly-healed chest, but he ignored the pain and focused on spawning as many chains as he could from his usable chakra points.

Glowing blue chains extended out from just above the middle of his back. It wasn't something he was used to and the sensation was slightly ticklish. Once a chain was grabbed and yanked down, Naruto forced the other chains he had created to aim at the one that was being pulled.

Clearly, Isaribi was not expecting him to be able to control them in that way. The chains quickly wrapped around the kunoichi, her struggling not doing a thing to loosen them. They weren't truly organic, nor could they be easily severed.

Naruto created a clone, dispelled it, and saw the chakra chains of his doppelgangers latch onto the other chains he had left floating in the open water. With a sharp pull, he was yanked out of the murky pool. Consequently, so was Isaribi.

The sea witch was struggling violently and the noxious chakra that was emanating from her tenketsu provided no help against the multitude chains wrapped around her body. With her arms, legs, and body restrained, and her hands kept away from each other, she was trapped.

"Tenten, hurry! Before her summon realizes what's going on!" Naruto yelled.

As Tenten ran at Isaribi, raising the one curved blade she had managed to hold on to, the sea witch screamed loudly. "No, no! Isaribi cannot fail! Isaribi cannot make Orochimaru-sama angry! No, no!"

Tenten's face was stony as her arm descended in a deadly arc. Isaribi's transformation gave the sword a bit more resistance than the kunoichi thought, and only part of the sea witch's neck was cut through.

The bun-haired kunoichi tried again, and this time, she was successful. The body went limp and there was a loud gurgling from the turtle below.

Abruptly, the summoned creature vanished, and gallons upon gallons of water poured out of the newly available opening. Naruto had jumped onto the walls so he wouldn't be swept away, and that was where Tenten leapt up to meet him.

"Are you okay?" Tenten slowly asked, taking note of Naruto's disappointed expression.

Sighing to himself, the blonde replied, "That's my line, you know, but I'm fine. I should've had an easier time with this girl. You wouldn't have hurt your arm and those... those prisoners would've still been alive."

A pang of guilt passed through Tenten's body, but she shook her head. "No, we all have to make sacrifices. Those prisoners won't be victims anymore. They're in a better place now, wherever they are," she reassured.

"I hope so."

When the drenched amphitheater was finally rid of the water, Naruto and Tenten landed on the stone with a splash. The iron door to the prison was open, but Naruto studiously ignored it. Tenten went to retrieve her fallen blade.

"You two seem to have had some fun here," someone called out. A soaked and displeased Jiraiya walked out from the opening to the hall, droplets of water dripping from his mane of white hair. He noted the decapitated body in the middle of the room and snorted. "What the hell happened here?"

Itachi walked out from the hallway as well, taking in the amphitheater with his scarlet eyes. "Naruto-kun, we felt you use the Kyuubi's chakra. Are you all right?" he plainly asked.

"He is a jinchuriki. They do not fall easily, inexperienced or not," a new voice intoned. A redhead of short stature with dull eyes and a serene expression followed Itachi out. Unlike Jiraiya and Itachi, he didn't look wet at all.

Naruto went on alert and Tenten attempted to as well despite the protests of her limp arm.

"Brat, girly brat, this is Sasori of the Red Sand," Jiraiya quickly introduced. "I'm sure you have questions, but now isn't the time. Itachi, can you fix her arm?"

"I can try, Jiraiya-sama," Itachi quietly assented. His medical jutsu repaired what it could once he set the bone and wrapped Tenten's arm in a sling. The Uchiha wasn't a true medical ninja, however.

"Sasori of the Red Sand? Who are you?" Naruto dubiously asked.

"This is the guy I was talking about, and he's the one who's helping us. Most of the base has already been cleared out and Itachi has found some things that might prove interesting to the Nara back home," Jiraiya explained before Tenten could add anything. He walked over to the dead body and, after examining it for a moment, sealed it into a black scroll. "We're leaving now, by the way. You can tell us all about your epic showdown when we get out of this place."

"What happened to Gamakichi?" A niggling in the back of Naruto's mind made him feel like he'd forgotten something. He couldn't for the life of him remember what it was.

"Once he saw the rushing water he got scared and went back home," Jiraiya deadpanned. "Now, come on. None of us want to be here when this place explodes."

"You're blowing this place up?" Naruto incredulously blurted. "There could still be victims here!"

Sasori's head swiveled to meet Naruto's eyes. "Sacrifices will have to be made. I'm sure we would be doing them a mercy. If you're willing to kill the workers here, then you should be willing to grant those who have had their lives taken from them a decency."

Naruto clenched his hands, desperately wishing he could attack Sasori if such an act wouldn't be possibly treasonous given how the redhead was Jiraiya's source. He opened his mouth to yell at the guy, but Tenten beat him to the punch.

"You're that missing ninja from Sunagakure no Sato, aren't you? The one who managed to militarize the Puppet Corps?" Tenten questioned.

"Yes, I am," Sasori said, his lips remaining fixed in their position. "My old home has overstepped its boundaries. This war has caused me more trouble than it is worth and I feel it's time for me to put Suna's petulant leader in his rightful place."

The Uzumaki remained silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts as he walked alongside the group. Finally, Naruto suspiciously asked, "Would you really go against your old home?"

Sasori made an offhanded gesture and said, "Of course. I already have and, at this point in my life, I am not concerned with their survival."

"But they're your _people_. Just because they're following the orders of an idiot-" Naruto ignored Jiraiya's guffaw, "-doesn't mean they should all have to pay for whatever dumb choices he makes. What about the children and the civilians? It's not like they're-"

"Enough, Naruto," Jiraiya commanded once he'd gotten his snickering under control. "Sasori's opinions are his own. I doubt something that extreme would come to Sunagakure to begin with."

The serene smile plastered on Sasori's face turned into something resembling a smirk. "What about you, child? Your comrades are currently being attacked and killed by Suna-nin as we speak. Why would you extend their people such courtesies? Not to mention the fact that a portion of Kusagakure's army is occupying part of your home country's land as well," the puppeteer drawled.

"That doesn't change the _fact_ that they're being ordered to do those things," Naruto said. "The only ninja I've seen that really enjoy doing that stuff are the Oto-nin and I think they're fucked up enough if they've decided to mutilate their bodies for a little extra strength."

Sasori hummed in thought. The blonde was a bit too forgiving for a ninja. "I suggested this earlier to your teacher, but I'd like to inform you and your friend as well," he said.

Jiraiya sighed to himself and ran a hand down his face. "I told you Sasori, it isn't my decision," the hermit stated.

"If Konoha's forces are not against it, then it stands to have a much higher chance to come to pass," Sasori reminded. "What do you two think about allying yourselves with Iwagakure no Sato?"

Naruto turned to his friend and asked, "What's wrong with Iwa?" Tenten shrugged in reply. Itachi remained impassive bar his almost imperceptible, approving nod.

The perverted hermit snorted. "I thought you said peace was an idealist's pursuit, oh esteemed puppeteer?"

"Peace isn't an idealist's pursuit," Naruto flatly interrupted.

"That's not what Sasori seems to think," Jiraiya dryly stated.

"The ninja villages have been fighting for decades," Sasori remarked. "Forgive me if I seem skeptical."

"Why are you suggesting Konoha and Iwa team up, then?" Naruto shot. "I know their history with Konoha, but it's not like my friends and I have an idea of what their attitudes are towards us."

Sasori turned to Naruto, demurely raising a painted eyebrow. "And do you think establishing peaceful relations between Konoha and Iwa is possible? I am suggesting such an alliance because it would be practical. I do not sincerely believe the villages would adopt a long-standing peace once this war ends."

"You're depressing, and I bet you that they can," Naruto bluntly said. "If people can change and go through trials that can change the way others look at them, then the villages can do the same. All it takes is some effort."

"That's easier said then done, kid," Jiraiya stated. "Our emotions are capable of great things, but they're also capable of great atrocities, as I'm sure you know. Hate breeds hate, and it leads into a vicious cycle of revenge that's difficult to break, especially with the ninja system in place."

Naruto ground his teeth in irritation. What an incredibly shitty worldview. No true peace could be found because people would be too bent on revenge to think about anything else? Accepting that simplistic take on the world wasn't something Naruto was willing to do.

He had changed everyone's opinions about himself, and he carried a destructive demon inside of him. A demon that had utterly ravaged his home, years ago. Yet, ninja now smiled at him. Civilians now smiled at him. They all saw through their own hate, so why couldn't everyone else?

Fuu had changed how her village viewed her, and as a result of their efforts, Takigakure and Konohagakure were closer than before. His fellow jinchuriki had told him that her village looked up to her as their savior and protector.

There were probably many other examples. Naruto wouldn't believe that a cycle of hatred would prevent true peace from emerging. Just because a few people were too blinded by their own desires for vengeance didn't mean everyone else had to be. People were much too complex for that.

The choices of the few didn't dictate the path of the many.

"I'll prove both of you wrong, then," Naruto muttered. "If an entire village can see through their hate for a jinchuriki, then they can see through their hate for others. It's possible. It's definitely possible."

The puppeteer shot a thoughtful hermit a victorious glance. It wasn't precisely the same thing as what the hermit had spoken about, but Naruto's persistence and determination was admirable.

Now, if the rest of his generation shared his stubbornness, they would be onto something.

**VvVvV**

(Konohagakure no Sato)

The trip back to Konoha hadn't taken too long. Jiraiya- and Naruto, under his teacher's instructions- summoned a large toad capable of keeping three grown men inside its mouth. The toad then hopped across the sea, blissfully ignoring the rain pelting its bumpy backside.

No one saw or felt the explosion that destroyed the base on Jiro Island. The two toads- one for Jiraiya, Itachi, and Sasori, and the other for Naruto and Tenten- were moving quickly enough to disregard the destruction Sasori's seals had caused.

Once they hit land, Sasori followed them to Konohagakure. He did not actually enter, per se, but instead stationed himself around the forests of the village. Asylum was offered by Jiraiya, but the redhead refused.

If information was needed, he told the Konoha-nin exactly where to meet him. Sasori was still a missing-nin and proper caution would be taken on his part.

Konoha was abuzz with activity when the four ninja entered the village. People were running about, going through the various tasks necessary for the war effort. Something big had happened if the level of activity was anything to note.

Although Naruto wanted a shower and a warm bed to sleep in, Jiraiya ushered the group to the Hokage Tower, where the Sandaime was waiting. Tenten wasn't exempt either, despite the condition her arm was in. She'd have to ask a medic-nin to take a look at it at when she had time, for Itachi wasn't the greatest at using medical jutsu and had only given her a spotty patch-up job.

"Ah, you four have returned," the Sandaime noted with a relieved smile when the group walked into his office. It quirked downward when his eyes saw the state Tenten's arm was in. "I trust you were successful in your endeavors?"

Jiraiya nodded. "The base is gone and Naruto's training has been proceeding smoothly. When we were scavenging the base, we found some things that might help us out." The hermit looked out the window and smirked. "Tsunade-hime's back, isn't she?"

Hiruzen's smile widened. "Her efforts at diplomacy have worked for once. Your wayward student has already departed for Kirigakure, though."

"Nagato was here?" Naruto asked.

"Was," the Hokage said. "We are cashing in on the alliance we have with Amegakure and Nagato is going to try to obtain Yagura's support one last time before we all strike back."

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama," Tenten quietly interrupted, "but we're in an alliance with Amegakure?"

"And possibly Kirigakure if Nagato is successful," Jiraiya added. "Why do you think there are so many ninja running about? Suna and Kusa won't know what hit 'em." There was also Kumo, which would be explained in detail at another time.

"We have to go through the Land of Rivers, however, and the recent takeovers in that region are not going to make things easy," the Hokage cautioned. "But enough about that. Tenten, why don't you head to the hospital and get your arm patched up? I'm sure they'll fill you in over there."

Tenten paused for a second before bowing as best as she could and turning around to leave. "What have you found?" Hiruzen asked, turning to the perverted hermit.

Jiraiya and Itachi both placed scrolls on the Hokage's desk. Recognizing their classification, the Sandaime made a hand-seal and an ANBU appeared next to him. "Take this to Nara Yoshino-" he indicated one of the scrolls that had a red pattern on it, "-and this to Inuzuka Kizu. He will let his matriarch know when she returns."

Both scrolls were taken and the ANBU vanished into thin air, courtesy of a well-performed Body Flicker. "There is one more thing," Jiraiya stated, catching the Hokage's attention.

Realizing what his sensei was indicating, Naruto stepped forward, placed a scroll on the old man's desk, and unsealed its contents.

"If this is supposed to be a joke, Naruto, I'm not amused," the Hokage murmured. Then, he raised an eyebrow when the object on his desk rapidly blinked as it became accustomed to the change in scenery.

"Where am I?" the head questioned, his eyes darting around the new location he was in.

The Hokage had heard about and laid eyes on a lot of intriguing things in his lifetime, but he hadn't ever seen a living, breathing Jashin devout. That outspoken group had been purged several times in its lifetime and he thought it had been completely eradicated years ago.

"May I ask who you are?" Technically speaking, the head was alive.

"I'm Hidan, prophet of-"

"Jashin-sama, correct?" the Hokage dryly said. Hidan feebly tried to nod.

"Oi, where's my body? Yo, blondie, you anywhere nearby? You promised me a body! I freakin' deserve a body after what happened!"

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and then coughed when he realized Hidan couldn't see him. "Sorry, Hidan, we couldn't find another one for you. Your scythe is sealed in a scroll the other guy gave us, though."

Hidan looked decidedly disappointed knowing that he wouldn't be able to walk again. "Do not fear, prophet, one of my students is an accomplished medic. I'm sure she'll do everything in her power to help you out," the Hokage assured. "But first, do you mind telling us why you were in one of Orochimaru's bases?"

A colorful string of courses flew out of Hidan's mouth as his disappointment turned to rage. "That damned man! He knocked me out and took me apart and poked me with those stupid needles!" the prophet raged. "And the entire time he was laughing to himself and talking to himself like a freakin' lunatic!"

Something passed over the Hokage's face before he corrected his expression and frowned. "I suppose that was unavoidable if he wasn't able to find an alternative. Immortality has always been one of his goals," he murmured. "We shall have to continue this discussion later, however. My student will be notified of your presence and she will speak to you about your needs."

Another ANBU member appeared. Without a trace of hesitation, the Black Ops agent picked up Hidan- who started spouting _more_ swear words at how suddenly he was being relocated- and disappeared.

The Hokage shook his head and pulled his hat down over his eyes. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a pipe that was lit with a snap of his fingers. Putting the pipe in his mouth, he puffed on it thoughtfully before pushing his hat back up and returning his gaze to his remaining subordinates.

"Now then, how successful has your training been, Naruto? It would be quite impossible to control the Kyuubi in under a week, I think."

"Doubting my abilities, old man?" Naruto joked. The tension he had been feeling had long since evaporated ever since he set foot back in his village. Hiruzen looked happy as well, but whether it was at the jinchuriki's training or his acceptance of the Hokage's orders, Naruto didn't know.

"I should hope not," the Hokage said, chuckling slightly. "But, dealing with a Tailed Beast is never simple. Did anything... dramatic happen?"

"No," Jiraiya answered in place of Naruto. "I stopped him from going too far just in case we couldn't prevent him from lashing out at the civilians. None of them noticed, by the way."

"I can draw on its power, but..."

"But?" the Hokage prodded.

Naruto fidgeted from where he was standing and settled on folding his arms over his chest. "The Kyuubi is acting strange," he bluntly stated.

The blonde suddenly felt very small. The Hokage's eyes narrowed, as did Jiraiya's. Itachi remained impassive, but a hand gesture from Hiruzen made the Uchiha vanish. "Strange how?" the Hokage finally asked, ignoring how Naruto had kept that bit of knowledge from Jiraiya.

The jinchuriki relayed the conversation he had had with the Biju when he was fighting Isaribi, specifically noting the fox's odd behavior. Both the Hokage and his student turned pensive at Naruto's words, up until he mentioned "the others".

"What or who was the Kyuubi was talking about when it said "the others"?" Naruto inquired. "It just sent me back to finish the fight against Isaribi when I asked it."

"The others..." Jiraiya murmured. "Sensei, do you think...?"

"They never did use it, to my knowledge," the Hokage said in reply. "It's not a far-fetched concept considering how tight that particular prison was, and how unique the second's chakra was."

"Should we?"

"Naruto, how many jinchuriki do you think Konoha has had over the years?"

Naruto shrugged. He hadn't thought about it before. He did remember reading something regarding the Shodai and the Tailed Beasts in order to set up some balance of power among the burgeoning villages.

The Hokage pointed at the nearby wooden chairs. "You might want a chair for this, Naruto-kun. Jiraiya, you're dismissed."

"But-"

"_Dismissed_, Jiraiya. I want to speak with Naruto before we attempt to make sense of the Kyuubi's other words."

Jiraiya sourly nodded and escaped by opening a window, much to his teacher's irritation.

When Naruto was settled and staring at his foster grandfather expectantly, the old Hokage began to spin a story.

* * *

><p><strong>This is not a true cliffhanger. I'm not going to have the Hokage talk about stuff we already know from canon. <strong>

**Anyway, this chapter was... difficult to write. I scrapped it once and heavily modified it from my original draft. The Kyuubi's behavior was changed twice because of a little tidbit I saw in the manga. I hope it's not too farfetched, because there is an actual reason behind the fox's behavior.**

**Please note that Naruto and the Kyuubi aren't going to become all chummy because of this. However, I don't expect it to be too popular. Just tell me what ya think.**

**As usual, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	31. Position

**A/N: Here's to everyone with end of the year exams.**

**If there are any errors, be they continuity or typo, let me know.**

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><p>Chapter Thirty-one: Position<p>

(Kirigakure no Sato)

What was supposed to be a relatively calm journey due to properly exercised caution ended up being a bit more excitable than what Nagato had hoped for. A quiet, peaceful trip would've done his thoughts some good.

Thanks to Tsunade, Nagato had been able to follow a safe mainland path to Konoha and then to a port village Konoha was on decent terms with. His heart went out to the refugees he'd seen who'd left their homes in order to escape oncoming bloodshed. It was yet another sign of how improper the ninja system had become.

There was so much potential to do good, to help those in need. Instead, the ability to utilize chakra was mostly used to kill. That issue went back to before the time of the ninja villages, according to his former sensei.

Nagato still had faith that true peace could happen. Overcoming age-old grudges would be difficult, but he knew that he himself had shed his own hatred toward Konoha. Amegakure itself had formed a pact with Konoha despite the bloody past they shared.

If that wasn't progress- however small- Nagato didn't know what was.

The red-haired man had left very soon after meeting with the Sandaime Hokage, aiming for the port village in the Land of Waves. The people over there were fortunate. They had no ninja and the Land of Snow's infrequent raiding parties were mostly focused on Kirigakure ships.

Once Nagato had boarded a passenger ship headed to Kirigakure, he had relaxed and prepared himself for his meeting with Yagura. Relative silence had reigned for a single day when one of the rigs belonging to the Land of Snow was sighted.

Initially, the redheaded man thought that he had nothing to be worried about. Since the vessel barely had anything of value on board, nothing should've happened. Once the captain of the ugly ship realized that there were only civilians on the ship, the foreign ninja should've left.

That wasn't the case. Despite the lack of indication that there was anything on the vessel, the Snow ninja boarded. After it became obvious that there was nothing, the presumed captain ordered his men to destroy the ship and kill its passengers.

Nagato had blasted them all away in a fit of cold, controlled anger. None of the Snow-nin knew he was a ninja and he had managed to catch them all off-guard. Once his Almighty Push shoved them into the ocean, he released a powerful gravitational force that snapped their ship in two.

As the enemy ninja were trying to compose themselves, Nagato used a powerful Suiton technique to send them and their blasted piece of floating machinery to a watery grave. Afterward, the passengers had looked upon him with a mixture of gratitude and fear.

Nagato didn't blame them. If he were being more narcissistic than necessary, he'd say that eyes of the Ancient Sage were in a class of their own.

Technically, it was true.

The gall of those ninja to attack ordinary civilians who wanted no part in their excursions made his blood boil. Hopefully his friend would be understanding enough to agree to the proposed alliance this time around. Scrubbing the seas clean of those ninja would only be a boon.

Amegakure's ambassador wouldn't lose any sleep over that fact, either.

"Nagato-san?"

Nagato perked up at the secretary's sultry voice. Somehow, the woman made every movement an open provocation. Her actions and attire screamed tactful espionage, which was reason enough for why she was the Mizukage's secretary.

"Yes?" the pale man replied, putting the magazine he hadn't really been reading back onto the nearby table.

"You may go in now. Mizukage-sama is waiting," Mei genially said, curling a lock of her auburn hair around one of her fingers.

Nagato thanked her and opened the door to the Mizukage's office, striding inside purposefully. Yagura was writing on a piece of paper, his brows furrowed. Elegant script marked most of the other papers cluttering his otherwise clean desk.

When Nagato took a seat, Yagura raised his eyes and bobbed his head in greeting. "It has been a while, hasn't it, Nagato?"

"That it has, Yagura-sama," Nagato replied. "I see that you're still busy with your paperwork."

"Well, recent events have given me extra chores," Yagura dryly replied, not bothering to correct his friend's form of address. He finished writing and set his pen down before clasping his hands. He put them on top of his desk and stared at his friend expectantly.

"I'm going to assume you at least partially know why I'm here," Nagato slowly began. "Yahiko has decided to formally end Amegakure's isolationist policies and has accepted Konoha's offer of friendship. The two villages hope to fight off Suna's incursions, present and future."

"Kusagakure isn't going to be left out, correct?"

"They're going to be dealt with. The Hokage ordinarily wouldn't have asked for your help, but Otogakure ninja have proven to be more problematic when paired with enemy forces." The red-haired man paused and scowled. "This includes the foreign ninja within your seas."

Yagura nodded curtly at his friend's statement. "Of course." The man sighed and continued, "I was hoping to be kept out of the Kazekage's mad play for power. Kirigakure had no real stake in this war even after I agreed to ally with your village."

"With Ame and Konoha united against the others, I'm afraid it was an eventuality," Nagato apologetically said. He drummed his fingers on his forearm and added, "You know, I recently had the pleasure of being attacked by a group of Snow ninja as I was sailing across your sea."

The Mizukage frowned. "My ninja have been instructed to avoid civilian ports if they're running through naval exercises. You couldn't have traveled with other shinobi. They attacked civilians, then?" Yagura queried.

"They did. Their targets are not simply limited to your ninja anymore, my friend."

The Mizukage closed his eyes and bowed his head. Kiri's bloody civil war had taken its toll on him and Yagura had no intention of allowing mindless suffering to befall innocent civilians. Ninja wars were between ninja, not the people who wanted nothing to do with their conflicts.

It was true that civilians conducted business with the ninja villages. Economic gain subsequently generated revenue depending on the transaction made. Supplies were needed by both ninja and civilian. However, no one living outside of the great villages wanted anything to do with their wars.

"Playing keep away wasn't going to work for long," Yagura reluctantly admitted. "I suppose you're right. It was inevitable that Kirigakure would have to dance to the beat of war once more."

The Mizukage's friend snorted at his flowery language. "My home and Konoha are both preparing themselves to attack in concert. Kumogakure no Sato is preparing to attack the Land of Fire as well."

"The Raikage does not want to miss this opportunity," Yagura sourly said. "You and Konoha are counting on my help to put pressure on Kumo's coast, are you not?"

"I don't think it would be in anyone's interests to allow Kumo to make another grab for power, especially with your counterparts beginning to mobilize," Nagato confirmed. "Speaking of which, what are you going to do with the _other_ one?"

After a few seconds of thought, the Mizukage said, "To be honest, I haven't the faintest idea. Utakata cut his ties to the village a while back. I believe it was all a misunderstanding, but emotions have a way of clouding one's perspective."

"Did you know Naruto fought him? Though, there was apparently nothing spectacular and the battle ended with Konoha's forces fleeing." Nagato reached into his black cloak and withdrew a scroll that he handed over.

Within the scroll was additional information the Hokage had asked him to deliver to Yagura. More than anything else, it was a goodwill message from Konoha. Amegakure was allied with Konoha and Kiri, but Konoha and Kiri did not strictly have defined ties with each other.

Yagura rolled open the scroll and read its contents. When he finished, he leaned back into his comfy recliner and sighed morosely. "How far he has fallen..." the Mizukage whispered. "Utakata is my village's responsibility, but I cannot travel to the mainland to retrieve him. You know well enough that I have my own responsibilities to attend to."

Nagato raised an eyebrow.

The Mizukage clicked his tongue and turned to the window overlooking his village. "I'm sure Konoha can deal with him. I believe Naruto will play a role in that, provided Utakata doesn't do anything too rash."

"I think it's too late to say something like that," the redhead replied with a wry grin.

"Perhaps."

"Has Naruto been the only one to attempt to speak to the others? Not even you have made such efforts," Nagato noted.

"Yes," Yagura said, "and I hope he continues to do so. We have the power to make a difference for once. Along with your own views, changes can finally be made. Kirigakure does not have the strength to go it alone and not everyone here shares my own ideals."

Nagato's lips curled up into a faint smirk. "So, should I celebrate the fact that you're going to help Konoha?"

"Not just yet. I still need to recall my ninja and prepare the village for war," Yagura explained. "Our help will be delayed but the Hokage will get the assistance he needs. Kumogakure is a great deal stronger than Sunagakure."

The Mizukage fully believed that Kumo would be more trouble despite the help Suna was receiving. Both of the village's jinchuriki were probably powerful and, as far as he knew, subservient to the Raikage. Couple that probable strength with the Raikage's militaristic ways and the result was a recipe for disaster.

The two men shook hands and Yagura proceeded to form a tiger hand-seal. The office door opened and the secretary peeked her head in. "Mizukage-sama?" she inquired.

"Tell Ao to recall all of our ninja and to bring the Seven together," the Mizukage commanded. Mei nodded dutifully and left to carry out her orders.

As Nagato stood, Yagura asked, "By the way, what about Iwa? Onoki's shinobi weren't mentioned in the report. They are having issues as well, correct?"

"They have been fighting against Suna-nin and Oto-nin, yes. However, Yahiko and I were unsure as to whether or not we should attempt to broker a deal with the Tsuchikage, given their history with Konoha," Nagato truthfully replied. "We believe that they will not pose a threat to us, though."

"Keeping on eye on them may be prudent," the Mizukage stated.

There had almost been an incident between Iwa and Kiri back when Yagura was campaigning for those with bloodline limits; thankfully, nothing drastic had come of it. Regardless of past grievances, Iwa was fighting the same enemies Konoha was. Combining efforts could help.

He stood up as well and walked Nagato to the door that led out of the office. He paused for a moment, his eyes again drifting to the window that provided a panoramic view of his home.

Some of the ninja under his command would be experiencing war for the fifth time in their lives. The first three shinobi wars, their own civil war, and then this accursed one brought on by betrayal.

Many ninja had seen their family members die in war. The ones that had survived and that had had children would possibly live to see their own children die as they watched them head out into chaotic waters. It made his heart twinge.

Yagura might not have had any children or surviving relatives, but the people of his village had become his own family. Growing up as a jinchuriki hadn't been too harsh with the pleasantries that had been given to him. Compared to the others, what he had lived in was practically royalty.

It was why he thought that he couldn't completely relate to the other jinchuriki and why he felt that Uzumaki Naruto would be able to succeed where he would surely fail. Yagura knew from his clandestine chats with the Sanbi just how much potential jinchuriki could have.

Potential that, if utilized properly, could change the way the nations worked.

"Don't worry, Yagura," Nagato gently said, seeing the change in his friend's features. The man removed his glasses and pointed a crooked finger to his face. "I awakened the Ancient Sage's eyes due to the pain I experienced. I plan on making full use of them in order to help prevent others from feeling that same pain. You do remember what I said to you when we first met, do you?"

The Mizukage did remember. When he had expressed his doubts regarding Nagato's introduction and skills, the man had revealed his eyes and delivered an impassioned plea regarding his peaceful beliefs- beliefs that Yagura had coincidentally shared.

One of the Legendary Three had been traveling with the red-haired man and all three of them had hit it off quite quickly. Similarities brought fast friendship and an overarching goal to change the world for the better.

"You shouldn't become too full of yourself, my friend," Yagura jibed. "You're not the only one who aims to end the strife between the nations." Nor was Nagato the only one who had the strength of will to actually carry out those aims.

"...I know."

With that, Nagato replaced his glasses and left the office, heading to the inn where he usually stayed whenever he visited Kirigakure. A few days of rest and he'd be ready to return to Konoha. He could notify the Hokage of Yagura's final decision and, ultimately, help them prepare to push their enemies back.

Death would, unfortunately, be rampant as it usually was whenever war arose. Hopefully, in the end, something positive would rise from the ashes. His visit had certainly been so.

**VvVvV**

Within a building surrounded by a pungent marsh and thin, frail trees, a leader and his top subordinates had gathered. They were seated at a round, metal table that was rusting due to its age. The walls surrounding them were painted a pale blue, bits and pieces of which were peeling away.

Several notable swords- and their current owners- were present, as well as a secretary and the Hunter-nin Commander. Each of these Kiri-nin had been summoned before the Mizukage awaited his words.

Respectable as each ninja could be, most of them opted not to act as such whenever they were in close proximity to each other. The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were infamous as silent assassins outside of Kiri, and infamous as petulant children inside of Kiri.

At least, that was how the higher-ups saw them.

Occasionally, Yagura would wonder how they had all managed to become such skilled ninja. Clearing his throat, the Mizukage announced, "Are you all ready to begin?"

Zabuza, who was pointing his Executioner's Blade at Mangetsu, let out a low groan and made himself sit upright. Slouching was no way to speak to a superior officer during a war meeting, even if the man tended to be immature at times.

The others quickly followed Zabuza's example, though Ameyuri kept glowering at Akebino Jinin. Eventually, she placed the Kiba swords on the metal table like the others had done with their own blades.

"What's up, boss man? Got a reason for why ya called us here?" Ameyuri drawled.

"As I'm _sure_ you all know, the Land of Snow has experienced technological advancement in recent years and is keen on using it to their advantage. Namely, by attacking our ninja, our citizens, and purposely allying with shinobi villages who would seek to harm us," the Mizukage explained.

Sitting on his right and on his left were Ao, the Hunter-nin Commander and Mei, the Mizukage's secretary, respectively. Both of them had become grim-faced when Yagura called for attention.

"Tensions between us and the other villages isn't new. We came very close to destruction in the time of the Sandaime Mizukage, when he was attempting to destroy Konoha," Ao said. "This time, it is Kumogakure's ninja who will eventually aim to end us."

"Since when did Kumo speak with smaller villages? Don't they tend to eat them up instead?" Kisame inquired, pointed teeth flashing as he spoke.

"A friend of mine believes that it is primarily Suna that Kumo is going to aid and that the minor villages who are attempting to seize power were recruited by an ally of theirs," replied Yagura.

"Konoha should've dealt with that problem before it turned into this," Ao sourly muttered. Then, he explained further, "Orochimaru, formerly of Konoha, was likely the one who convinced the Land of Snow to attack us. It is thought that he convinced Kumo to join forces with Suna as well."

"Orochimaru was the one behind the formation of Otogakure, correct?" Jinin asked.

Zabuza grunted. "Got to be. Suigetsu cut one of those ninja in half once. Know what happened? The legs got up and reattached themselves." The Demon of the Hidden Mist scoffed. "Backwards, might I add. The ninja had two hearts, too. I had smash his brain in before his body parts stopped moving on their own."

None of the assembled ninja were surprised by Zabuza's gruesome encounter.

Kushimaru turned to Ao. "His intentions are to directly attack us, then?"

"He's all but declared war, and I doubt he'd go that far," Yagura dryly stated. "As a result of his attempt, I was asked to lend aid to Konoha-"

Ameyuri burst out laughing. Mangetsu tilted his chair back and put his feet on top of the table. Jinin clenched his hands, which Kushimaru mirrored. The other swordsmen did nothing, merely patiently await an explanation from their leader.

"Their past actions may have affected some of us, but it is not a good time to dwell on such things. There are bigger problems afoot and it would be better to focus on them. After all, we cannot simply allow ninja from the Land of Snow to roam our seas if they are decidedly looking for confrontation," Yagura said.

"As hunter-nin of Kiri, you two are-"

"We get it, captain," Kushimaru reluctantly replied.

"It's been years, anyway," Jinin agreed. "You want me to help them? I'll help them. I'm not going to trust any of them, though. Bunch of conniving, sneaky bastards..."

"It does seem like it's time for a change..." Jinpachi, who had been silent up until his fellow swordsman's words, commented to himself. "Will we be working directly with Konoha-nin?"

"No, our other ally will be corroborating with them." The swordsmen, Ao, and the Mizukage's secretary had already been informed of the pact with Amegakure. A few of the swordsmen were still skeptical but even they couldn't deny the fact that the Land of Snow could very well pose a significant threat to the Land of Water's populace if left unchecked.

"What we will be doing," the Mizukage continued, "is destroying any vessels marked as loyal to the Land of Snow as we advance on Kumo's coast. They've likely already amassed a force to send to Konoha's lands and we're to reduce the pressure by opening up a second front.

"Remember, Konoha is splitting its forces to deal with Sunagakure and the incursions of Kusagakure. That is why they're struggling. That is why they've asked for my aid and that is why they cannot handle this situation on their own," Yagura stated.

Kisame whistled. "Well, this is a surprise. Three ninja villages working together like this hasn't happened before." He chortled gleefully. "Think it'll stand up after all the fireworks?"

"We shouldn't concern ourselves on whether or not this alliance will falter after our enemies are dealt with. Not yet, at least." Yagura glanced at each of the swordsman. Most of them seemed to readily accept his decision, bar Kushimaru and Jinin.

He didn't blame those two, however. Their entire ANBU squad had once been decimated by Konoha forces long ago. There were still little answers as to what happened during that night. Kushimaru and Jinin had all but given up hope on obtaining the information they so desperately desired.

Mei tapped the metal table and flashed through a series of odd hand-seals. A puff of smoke briefly obscured the surface before it dissipated, revealing a large map of the Elemental Nations. Most of it was already marked with descriptors indicating non-aggression pacts, alliances, and certain troop movements.

"This," the secretary began, "is a map."

Ameyuri growled at the insinuation, to which Mei gave a smirk in response.

"As I'm sure all of you know," she added. Mangetsu- whose legs had been forced off the table by the map- rolled his eyes in mock-irritation.

Ao placed a finger on a painted representation of the Land of Snow, which was located northeast of Kumogakure. "Taking the fight to the Land of Snow is a fairly bad idea in this case. We don't want to send a fleet to their homes, nor do we want to ignore Kumo. I'm sure they wouldn't return the favor."

"Zabuza, Mangetsu," Yagura said, "you two are going to head to the Land of Snow to kill their leader. Their only trump are their machines and weapons, both of which should pose no problem to either of you."

"Cut the head off, and the body dies," Mangetsu remarked. "Sounds easy enough."

Yagura gave the Hozuki clansman a warning look. Underestimating the gravity of the mission they were being assigned was not acceptable.

"Ameyuri, Jinpachi," Yagura continued, "you two will make sure any ships belonging to Snow ninja are unable to continue harassing us. You are to select a team of ninja to help you in this endeavor. I suggest asking Mangetsu's brother."

"Gotcha, boss man," Ameyuri replied.

"The rest of us will converge on the Land of Lightning's southern coast and make our way to the village itself," Yagura informed. "Although they have precautions, my tenant and I will be able to see through them."

"While a part of our fleet will remain near the Land of Water, the remaining portion will split up to attack different parts of Lightning's coast. It will take a longer amount of time, but it will be easier on our supplies and force Kumo to divide their forces further. We will all meet at the Valley of Clouds and Lightning," Ao explained.

"Are there any objections?"

When the Seven Swordsmen merely resumed their previous languishing, Yagura decided to end the quick meeting.

Then he had to kick them all out of the room so that they could prepare for their assigned tasks.

**VvVvV**

(Land of Fire)

Sasuke's keen eyes took in the rocky landscape before him. Currently, he and his team were near the point where one could cross into the Land of Rivers, which was- unofficially- under the control of Suna.

According to the information Konoha and Ame scouts had picked up, several villages within the Land of Rivers had been attacked and seized. The people of those villages were living under tyranny. Their homes were being used for positioning and any supplies within were being taken by foreign ninja.

These villages were necessary to keep sending raiding parties near or into the Land of Fire once Konoha had bolstered up its security. Disrupting Suna's hold over the region would prevent the village's ninja from doing so, removing pressure from Konoha and Ame, and providing a resting area where friendly shinobi could wait before heading into the vast desert that constituted most of the Land of Wind.

The gratitude from the indigenous people was just a bonus.

The young Uchiha was itching to begin moving. Being put into one of the first true joint village teams since _ever_ would've been more exciting, but there was just one little damper on his mood...

"Calm down, Sasuke-chan. This isn't like one of your ordinary missions from when you were a genin," Uchiha Mikoto scolded from where she was sitting on a damp log.

Sasuke sighed exasperatedly and forced himself to ignore the quiet, jeering snickers coming from the three Amegakure chunin. Two of them were familiar; all three of them were wearing similar, if strange, beige outfits coupled with odd breathing apparatuses.

They lived in a completely different region, though. Who was he to judge?

Their snickering was making it difficult to refrain from doing so, unfortunately...

He heard a scoff and turned to glance at a kunoichi who somewhat resembled him. Uchiha Yume had her raven-colored hair tied back into a ponytail and was smirking at her second-cousin. "You guys shouldn't laugh at the second son of the matriarch of the Uchiha Clan," she lightly commented.

"No offense to your familial relationships, but your clan means nothing to us," one of the Ame-nin retorted. The metal object covering part of his face didn't completely obscure his scowl.

Yume was going to snap back at the disrespectful chunin but was interrupted by Mikoto, who said, "Oboro is right, Yume. Out here, my status as Uchiha matriarch doesn't really mean anything. I'm just another worried mother."

When the kunoichi looked like she was still going to speak, Sasuke added, "It's still strange. Father always told us that you left active duty once Itachi was born."

Mikoto's eyes glittered. The Ame chunin had stopped paying attention, not caring much about the happenings between three family members. Their villages were allied and the 'information' would be detrimental to team cohesion. Ninja could retire and could come out of retirement if they so chose, anyway.

"Oh? He never told you about my history before we married? I thought you would've been more interested in your mother's past, Sasuke-chan."

The youngest Uchiha in the vicinity flushed when one of the Ame-nin snorted. It wasn't his fault that he wasn't interested in becoming the next clan head. Sasuke wanted to take over his father's position as the head of police, whereas Itachi would take over whatever remained of the clan's leadership.

Sasuke didn't find watching over his clan's members and their actions too interesting. Helping keep order within Konoha- simplistic as it was- felt much more satisfying to him.

"Itachi mentioned that you were a jounin before you left active duty," Sasuke hesitantly stated, not quite remembering everything his brother had told him.

Mikoto smiled softly and adjusted her flak-jacket. Her dark, nearly skintight clothing was smoothed over as she rolled her shoulders. "I'm sure you already know of Itachi's particular set of skills," the Uchiha matriarch quietly murmured. "Fugaku taught him almost exclusively back then in hand-to-hand combat and Katon ninjutsu. I, on the other hand, taught him genjutsu."

The matriarch sighed to herself and shrugged. "I also tried to teach him how to clean. Unfortunately, Itachi was always much too busy, and look where it has gotten him. He's much too dependent on my cooking."

Her son snickered. Once upon a time, Sasuke might've felt jealousy at Itachi's treatment. However, Itachi had always been rather vocal about how Sasuke was raised, oftentimes repetitively telling his younger brother that he needed to have fun playing ninja before becoming a true ninja.

Besides, Sasuke now wanted to a carve a path that was different than the one Itachi was taking. Why would he want to be raised as a clone of his brother?

"Itachi never really showed too much skill with Raiton jutsu anyway, I'm afraid," Mikoto mused, sounding somewhat morose.

Then she patted Sasuke's head despite how close he was to reaching her height. It made her feel nostalgic and sad that her children were nearly grown up. Soon Sasuke would be finding a home for himself while his brother got acclimated to his future duties as an Uchiha patriarch.

The other ninja tensed as a runner approached. Sasuke was somewhat sour at not being able to continue the low conversation he had been having with his mother, but there were more important things to think about. He wondered why she had patted his head, though. His mother hadn't done that before.

The runner exchanged some words with the Uchiha matriarch before dashing away. Mikoto looked skeptical and ushered the team together as she retook her seat, having left it to speak with the scout.

"Are you all aware of what village we're supposed to capture?" Mikoto quickly asked.

"The village of Ganshou," one of the Ame-nin replied.

Mikoto smiled slightly at the chunin and nodded. "The village of Ganshou is situated near a deep lake that is the source for one of the land's winding rivers. South of the town, the river periodically floods. It's close to the border and has excellent farmland, along with freshwater. Suna-nin and Oto-nin are entrenched within the village and can make use of it to send raiders deep into the Land of Fire."

"How are we going to remove them from the village?" Sasuke questioned. "There are only six of us and, I'm guessing, a _lot_ of enemy ninja."

"They're likely prepared for any sort of attack and it'll be difficult to completely get them out without severe collateral damage," Yume added.

"We're hoping to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible," Mikoto said. "That way the local populace will be more accepting of us when we oust the ones who have invaded their homes."

What Konoha and Ame were aiming for was to make the villagers of Ganshou to see the new ninja as their saviors. Gratitude would lead to free or cheap food, places to stay, and generally, less death. The people of Ganshou would become the benefactors of the new ninja.

Sure, it was slightly manipulative, but it was much easier than carting around food. Konoha and Ame didn't want to waste supplies. Besides, it wasn't like the villagers participated in high-energy, stressful missions that came with a high chance of death.

Ultimately, they wouldn't know what they were being made to do.

"Oboro, you and your teammates will perform that clone technique your jounin-sensei mentioned in conjunction with the Henge. Your clothing is much too distinctive," Mikoto chastised.

The Ame chunin shrugged. Nonetheless, they would comply with the matriarch's orders. Their combined abilities could create a veritable army of faceless clones that, to an attacker, would appear real. Part of it was a true illusion while the other part was a modified clone jutsu.

"So, they're the distraction," Sasuke murmured. He glanced at the Amegakure ninja and asked, "Will you guys be all right?"

"They won't be in direct fighting range if all goes well," Mikoto explained. "While the guards surrounding the village are busy, us three will slip in undetected. Inuzuka Tsume's team will also be running interference. Once we're inside, we'll begin."

"We can't be the only ones who're infiltrating the place," Yume slowly said.

"Aburame Shibi is aiding us, and two other jounin from Amegakure that have been tasked with this run will be sneaking in as well. Striking from the shadows will be necessary. Remember to use genjutsu when available and to refrain from using explosive techniques. We don't need a full-scale confrontation here," Mikoto emphasized.

"Understood," Sasuke and Yume replied.

"When will we be leaving?" Oboro asked, sounding impatient.

"Thirty minutes," Mikoto answered. "Are you all aware of your tasks?"

They were all ready, but Sasuke was unsure. He wasn't doubting his skills or his ability to perform. No, he felt that he was more than skilled enough to stick to the mission parameters. What made him nervous was the fact that his mother was participating in the incoming battle.

As far as he knew, the Uchiha matriarch was a jounin and therefore, an elite kunoichi. However, that bit of knowledge by itself didn't give Sasuke much reassurance. After all, he hadn't ever seen her fight even though she had apparently taught his older brother some genjutsu.

To Sasuke, Uchiha Mikoto was his caring and kind mother who could cook the best meals he had ever eaten. She could be scary when angry and sweet when she was not. Whenever a ninja went out, there was always the chance of dying, and Sasuke didn't want that to happen to his mother.

He didn't want to see his mother get hurt at all. The Uchiha could be very vengeful at times despite his nature and would go out of his way to make sure that whoever hurt his mother would get their dues in blood.

"Don't be so scared, Sasuke-chan," Mikoto cooed, breaking her son out of his thoughts, "I can hold my own in a fight. Worry about yourself or I'll tell Itachi about what you called him when he was out with Naruto-kun and Jiraiya-sama."

"N-No, that's okay," Sasuke stuttered, his face suddenly appearing pale and sickly. "I can't... I can't help but be worried."

Mikoto's features softened and she sighed to herself, reaching over and patting her youngest son's head again. "Sasuke, you don't think I worry about you whenever you go out on a mission? What about Itachi and your father?"

"I've seen them fight, though! They're always going on missions or doing police work!"

The matriarch was thoughtful for a moment before she smirked. "If you can trust me enough to fight, Sasuke, then I'll teach you a nasty Raiton technique when we have the time." She winked at the now-curious teenage Uchiha. "You should know I made jounin based on how skilled my lightning techniques were."

"Wha-"

"Come on, everyone. Let's go," Mikoto ordered, jumping to her feet.

Adrenaline began to pulse in Sasuke's veins at his mother's harsh commands. Finally, it was time to move and carry out the mission they had been given. However, as the six ninja started to run, the youngest Uchiha in the vicinity couldn't help but grin at where his Raiton affinity had come from.

Whereas Itachi had inherited his father's Katon affinity, Sasuke inherited his mother's talent for Raiton jutsu.

The knowledge didn't help his anxiety. With the mission at hand, he'd have to push his nervousness out of mind and focus on the orders he'd received.

An apprehensive glance was directed at his mother before he sped up to match the speed his team was moving at.

**VvVvV**

(The Land of Hot Water)

A lone woman walked into the bustling village formerly known as Yugakure no Sato. Once upon a time, it had housed a small amount of dedicated ninja hoping to serve and defend their homeland. Now it was simply a popular tourist attraction.

Despite the removal of its trained ninja, the village never managed to shed or change its official name. The prosperous establishment probably thought that the thrill of walking into a ninja village, transitioned or not, was magnetic.

Yugakure had a lot of money. That much Yugito knew. However, she wasn't in the fancy village- it was more like a city- to goof off and relax. For the moment no foreign ninja hiding would be hiding there; most of them were helping their respective village for obvious reasons.

A jinchuriki like her could take over the city with minimal effort, especially with the backing of her comrades. She was one of Kumogakure's most powerful jounin, second only to a select few.

Force wouldn't be necessary in her case. Diplomacy had a much higher chance of succeeding and would result in much less bloodshed. The daimyo was an acquaintance of hers, if barely. In fact, the daimyo's office was her current destination.

The daimyo presiding over the Land of Hot Water was a tall, lean man who was a year or two older than Yugito was. Ironically enough, the daimyo was extremely well-mannered. The first time Yugito met him, he was completely hammered, unable to form coherent sentences at all.

Ten years ago, he had ascended to the throne after his ailing father had died. His advisers had recommended he travel his nation and meet the citizens under his rule, and Yugito was hired as part of the escort detail.

When the daimyo was sober, he had been surprisingly cordial. The poetry he spewed was more than a bit annoying, though.

Thankfully, according to the information Yugito had been given, the man was married. Less irritation for her to deal with was very welcome.

Upon reaching the large building where this particular daimyo usually performed his duties, Yugito channeled chakra to the soles of her sandals and nimbly darted up the walls. The bright sunlight didn't hinder her or reveal her presence; the lord's samurai guards weren't exactly trained to deal with stealthy ninja.

After quickly reaching the top of the three-story building, the blonde peeked through one of the open windows, allowing her eyes to gaze inside. They came to rest on a handsome male with brown hair and angular features. He was listening- sort of, as his eyes were drooping- to a stocky woman using animated hand gestures.

Yugito easily made out the words, useless as they were, and waited for the daimyo to dismiss her so she could hold her own conversation with the man. Once the woman was escorted out by a samurai, the man let out a loud, grateful sigh. Yugito had to repress her own.

Then, she slipped into the room undetected. Apparently, the daimyo's guards were stationed outside and only entered when someone wanted an audience with the man. Their lack of caution proved beneficial for her.

The daimyo's eyes widened in alarm as the kunoichi materialized in front of him. To other ninja, Yugito's appearance wasn't anything special, but to a normal human being it seemed as if she had appeared out of thin air.

"Furin Akihiko," Yugito began, crossing her arms. Her ordinary black and purple blouse had a flak-jacket over it.

Akihiko blinked several times and then narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, kunoichi?" he said in a clipped tone of voice.

Yugito was vaguely surprised at his austerity. To her, he had always come across as a well-meaning, dramatically romantic fool. "Do you not realize who you are speaking to, Akihiko-san?" she asked.

The daimyo straightened and smoothed his flamboyant, light blue kimono, seemingly ignorant of the standing threat Yugito posed. "I have seen many faces in my lifetime and go through many more every day. It comes with the job, in case you didn't know," Akihiko lowly retorted.

The blonde jinchuriki sighed to herself and grabbed the braid behind her back. With a small tug, the bandage relinquished its hold and allowed her long, flowing hair freedom. Recognition dawned on Akihiko's features.

"You... You're... Yugito-san?" the daimyo stuttered in disbelief. "What are you doing here? Are you the one that Raikage-dono decided to send?"

Yugito straightened her hair distractedly before replying. "The Land of Frost has already _agreed_ to allow Kumogakure troops to cross their land. We assumed there would be Konoha shinobi staying here, but apparently not," she explained. "And yes, I am the kunoichi Raikage-sama sent."

Akihiko noted her slight exasperation. "So, did he tell you about what concessions I would be granted?"

"No. I was only instructed to inform you that our ninja will soon be arriving," Yugito dully replied. "The Raikage sends his regards. He is grateful that he will not have to suppress a potential uprising while dealing with the Land of Fire."

"Still following orders, are you?" the daimyo muttered in amusement. "I thought by now that you would've loosened up. Haven't you ever taken a break? I'm sure all of this is bound to become taxing at some point, if it hasn't already."

Yugito remained silent.

"If your leader manages to divvy up a slice of Konoha's pie, would you mind sharing it with me? Entertainment value tends to go down when you ninja kill each other."

The jinchuriki raised an eyebrow. "Are the other concessions not enough?"

"Never mind," Akihiko quickly said.

"Are there any other ninja left in your lands?" None had been found so far.

"If there are any left they'll be near the border, in that one village whose name I always forget. You remember it, right? My guards won't make a big deal when you and your friends come running through." He paused. "As long as you don't hurt my people or my businesses, of course."

"We will do our best to avoid unnecessary damage," Yugito droned. "I will send a message to my leader. I'm sure he'll be pleased to know that the partnership still stands."

Akihiko rolled his eyes. It wasn't like anything would really change if he refused to allow Kumo-nin to prowl through his nation. Suppressing a nation of civilians wasn't exactly difficult when only the main city had a small amount of defensibility. Samurai wouldn't even count against ninja.

At least his acceptance would result in a greater amount of money being funneled into his hands that could be used to improve roads, buildings, and the livelihood of his people. Better to benefit from the impending chaos than to burn from it.

Without a ninja village, they certainly wouldn't be burning, unlike his father's decisions.

As Yugito turned to open the door and leave, the daimyo said, "Want a drink? Like I told you before, relaxation is always nice to relieve stress."

The woman didn't answer. Instead, she continued walking out of the door, using the daimyo's lack of action to emphasize her stature. Akihiko took a modest gaze at her rear as Yugito left his office before he took a swig out of the bottle he had retrieved.

Relishing the burning feeling of the alcohol trickling down his throat, the man wondered how different his life would've been if he had managed to woo the blonde woman all those years ago. If Akihiko had succeeded, he probably would've been used for Kumo's benefit.

He had only been able to try once. Irritating the one protecting you was a surefire why to get ignored when something bad happened, such as an assassination attempt. Besides, he had a wife and a son waiting for him.

Akihiko couldn't wait to share the... good news... with them.

* * *

><p><strong>Not a particularly long chapter, but I was busy, especially with incoming finals. I hope the droning regarding the villages wasn't too bad. I also wanted to show that Sasuke does care since he's supposed to be a sensitive person... and because it's Mother's Day. Then again, anyone would be afraid in his position, generally speaking (I hope).<br>**

**Any errors, continuity or otherwise? Let me know in a review or a PM.**


	32. Commitment

Chapter Thirty-two: Commitment

(The Land of Earth)

The Sandaime Tsuchikage eyed the messenger hawk warily. The large bird was staring at the Tsuchikage unflinchingly, its odd, bright red feathers commanding attention in the small room it was situated in.

Around the hawk's neck was a white band inscribed with the Konoha leaf and an Uchiha fan symbol. Strapped to its back was a small tube that contained the message it was meant to deliver. Sharp talons clacked on the Tsuchikage's desk, but the hawk refrained from moving too often.

Roushi groaned in exasperation. "For the love of the gods, just read the damned thing!" he demanded.

"Yes, please do. I daresay my talons are not being kind to your desk." To emphasize its point, the hawk lifted one of its legs and peered down at the scratches on the wood.

Han, standing in a nearby, shadowed corner, raised an eyebrow at the hawk's ability to speak. He had thought that it was simply a messenger bird the Uchiha raised, if the fan symbol was any indication of its main affiliation.

Apparently the Uchiha had their own summons, so a messenger hawk in that respect wouldn't come off as pompous and arrogant. Quite a few clans throughout the Elemental Nations had summoning contracts with animals that could be used to deliver letters and scrolls.

Onoki finally acquiesced and popped open the tube's cap before quickly snatching the scroll inside. The hawk stared curiously at the Tsuchikage, emitting a noise that somewhat resembled a snort.

"Don't think he's happy about how you're handling him, old man," Kitsuchi joked from where he was sitting, cracking a small grin at the glare his father sent him.

Muttering under his breath, the Tsuchikage unrolled the small scroll and read what was written on it. Encoded symbols met his eyes and a memory of the peace talks after the previous war had ended sprang to mind.

When the Yondaime Hokage had soundly trounced Iwagakure's strongest ninja, negotiations had opened to formally end the Third Great Shinobi War. Many messages had been written with a type of code, which Hiruzen had apparently kept in mind when the hawk was sent out.

"What's it say?" Roushi asked, noting the furrowing of Onoki's brow.

"Give me a second," the Tsuchikage grunted. After a few moments, he said, "Well now, this is interesting. I'm surprised, though I suppose I shouldn't be."

"Thanks for telling us everything," Kitsuchi dryly remarked.

Onoki took his eyes off of the scroll and glanced at the other men in the room. "Before I tell you anything concrete about this, I must ask what your opinions of Konohagakure no Sato are," he slowly stated.

Kitsuchi raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "Don't play dumb, old man. What's in the message?" he demanded.

Onoki hummed in thought before waving the scroll in the air. "This was written in the code used during the peace talks that preceded the formal end of the Third Great Shinobi War. It isn't very practical given how long ago that posturing occurred, but I assume Hiruzen was aiming for some attempt at cheap symbolism.

"To be blunt, Konoha is offering its hand in... friendship... to us."

Kitsuchi frowned and Roushi- who was usually frowning- deepened his own. Han remained expressionless, though with his mask it would've been difficult to tell regardless.

"I see you three are stunned," the Tsuchikage deadpanned.

"Konoha wants to help us? What for?" Kitsuchi asked. "Not that I'm saying their help wouldn't be nice, what with the monsters and all, but I'm surprised they're willing to take that risk. Forcing us to fight on our own would weaken us further, allowing them to make larger grabs for power."

"Have you been paying attention to the outside world?" Roushi rumbled. "Suna has attacked the Land of Fire as well, and if the rumors are correct, Kumo has advanced on the Land of Frost and is possibly aiming to do the same to the Land of Hot Water. I wouldn't doubt they'd do so, given how they usually act, too."

"Amegakure is aiding Konoha as well. I believe they're currently marching on the Land of Rivers, which is occupied by a portion of Suna's forces," Onoki added.

"What will happen if we accept their offer?" Kitsuchi queried.

"In the short term? Nothing," Onoki answered. "Our respective ninja will not fight each other if contact is made. With their aid, we'll likely have an easier time fending off our enemies in the future."

They could prove excellent distractions since Konoha's lands had already been infringed upon.

Roushi scoffed. "This is just asking for trouble. I don't know how optimistic the Hokage is, but this is ridiculous. He can't honestly expect this to go smoothly, can he?"

"You know he passed down his ideals to the Yondaime Hokage, Roushi," Onoki said. "He's a smart old bastard. We're all going to be drawn into a battle eventually with the enemies we're fighting. Besides, you haven't been in the village these past years. You have no idea of the changes that have taken place."

The Yonbi jinchuriki actually looked affronted at that statement. "Is that so? Please tell me that you expect Konoha-nin and Iwa-nin to be all chummy the moment they meet on the battlefield. Perhaps they'll even share a drink or two. I know I would."

Kitsuchi barked out a laugh. "He's right, you know. Unlike you two-" Kitsuchi glanced back at Han, "-I've been _in_ the village raising my daughter. Many of the common stereotypes are extremely exaggerated."

"Still, there's bound to be at least one child who'll hold _some_ animosity towards Konoha. People are petty and spiteful. They're not going to let something as big as the last war be forgotten."

"Maybe they will if we give them a chance," Han slowly stated. His voice caught the attention of the others. "After all, if the children are giving me a chance, why not Konoha? Have they been given cause to be wary beyond what is normal? They'll be focusing on the issues in front of them, not the ones that took place years ago."

"That's a valid point," the Tsuchikage admitted. "As I'm sure you've all noticed, a few... parents... seem to be apprehensive towards Han. Their children tend not to share their views most of the time. Kurotsuchi herself tends to spit at my orders more often than not."

"You have no idea, old man," Kitsuchi grumbled.

"If Kurotsuchi and the others in her age group are not hostile towards Konoha, then we should expect Konoha's younger ninja to act reasonable, especially if the Sandaime Hokage's ideals were passed down as well," Han stated.

No one doubted that they were. The 'Will of Fire' was as infamous outside of Konoha as it was nearly zealously followed within.

The Tsuchikage, his son, and the Gobi jinchuriki turned to give Roushi an unyielding stare. He was the only one who was conflicted at the moment. Once, years ago, he had left his home based on his leader's war policies. Now...

Now, he felt as if the situation was reversed. Konoha's kindness was well-known and he knew that there wouldn't be too much to lose if Iwa accepted the Hokage's offer. In fact, he suspected that such a thing would prove to be primarily beneficial in the end.

Still, the Yonbi jinchuriki couldn't help but feel nervous. He had killed his own fair share of Konoha ninja.

"There is no need to be uneasy," Han whispered. "The Hokage wouldn't send such an offer if there were people still aiming for vengeance. That same principle applies to us, too."

"Don't act so self-important, you brat," Onoki chided before Roushi could reply. "Take a look around and then speak."

Roushi closed his eyes and clenched his jaw before saying, "Fine. I doubt I would've made much of a difference towards your final decision anyway. Go ahead and do whatever you need to do."

"Insufferable little fool." The Tsuchikage scoffed. "Your opinion matters a great deal. How many others are there that have experienced as much as you have?"

The redheaded man scowled and shifted in his seat.

"In any case, it's decided. I'm sure this silly little hawk here has received its fair share of information."

The hawk tilted its head. "I believe much of what you discussed is already common knowledge. I will admit your bickering has been entertaining, however."

Kitsuchi sent a wry grin towards the hawk, whereas Onoki and Roushi scowled.

Onoki flipped the scroll over and grabbed a pen. A quick agreement in the same code was written, and upon completion, the scroll was put back into the tube on the hawk's back. It was quickly capped and a band with Iwagakure no Sato's symbol was added around the bird's neck.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you gentlemen," the hawk stated. After a bastardized mimicry of a bow, the avian burst into smoke.

"This has been a long day. Laughing at tradition, breaking down age-old grudges, fighting battles to the death... all of it makes a man tired."

"Oh shut up, Kitsuchi," Roushi growled.

"No time for rest yet, brats. Kitsuchi and I are going to spread the news. I am going to make it clear that any bias will not be tolerated under threat of death, for the benefits far outweigh little grudges," the Tsuchikage commanded.

"Time does heal all wounds," Han mused, throwing a significant glance at his fellow jinchuriki. "I believe you said something along those lines, Roushi?"

The jinchuriki chose not to reply and instead left the room in displeasure.

Han turned to his leader. "You did inform them of what we found, didn't you? I don't like having to use our full power just because of those oafs making sure we can't use anything less."

"Looking out for us, eh? If they didn't know before, then they'll know when they get the message," the Tsuchikage gravely said.

**VvVvV**

(The Village of Ganshou)

Sasuke's head was throbbing painfully. His ears were ringing, and he was pretty sure one of his fingers was broken, too. The Uchiha was grateful that he hadn't been peppered with shrapnel or stabbed with one of those crystals that had killed a few of his comrades.

That made him tremble with suppressed rage. Who _was_ this woman? She had just appeared with that awful smirk of hers and had begun to trample all over their plans. Any attempts to bring her down were thwarted by her odd techniques, which seemed to laugh at anything that was thrown at them.

Eventually the woman had attached something to one of her crystal walls that caused it to violently explode. Whatever it was was of higher quality than the explosive tags Sasuke had, as his own hadn't been able to destroy the crystal the woman was using.

Everything had been going so well, too.

Oboro's clones had created a large enough disturbance to occupy a majority of the guards protecting the entrance of the village, allowing Sasuke, his mother, and his cousin to enter untroubled. While sticking close to the shadows, they had managed to take out a few enemy ninja who were much too ignorant for their own good.

Unfortunately, one of Aburame Shibi's insect clones instructed the three Uchiha to reveal themselves and come to the real Shibi's aid. One of the enemy ninja, a vicious woman with light blue hair and fair skin, was apparently talented enough to root out a ninja of Shibi's skill.

The rest of the Aburame's team came to their leader's aid and none of them had expected the woman to be too difficult to take down despite the fact that she had managed to find them. Although they were still cautious, several Konoha and Ame ninja were taken down by precision stabs from shimmering crystals the kunoichi had created.

As none of the pink crystals immediately represented any of the five ordinary element variants, an obvious answer was that the woman had some sort of bloodline that granted her the ability to use her unique brand of techniques.

The result was frustrating. Nothing seemed to work against the sturdy minerals. Regular grade explosives failed to crack the kunoichi's defenses. Katon and Raiton jutsu didn't help either, and none of the present ninja had any real skill with Fuuton techniques.

The woman was able to avoid Shibi's small chakra-draining beetles, too. Somehow, she remained aware of their proximity even when not explicitly focusing on them.

Aburame Shibi was quick and crafty enough to avoid being hurt too badly, whereas all three Uchiha used their eyes to evade injury. However, Sasuke hadn't expected the kunoichi to slap an explosive of her own onto a crystal wall and manipulate it into directly moving onto his path.

One explosion later and he was wounded. Sasuke thought he had heard someone calling his name, but the ringing in his ears was preventing him from distinguishing any sounds. His eyes were still active however, and everything was still perceived with painful clarity.

Sasuke was fortunate. Most of the enemy ninja were out dealing with Inuzuka Tsume's interference, allowing the Uchiha to stiffly rise up without issue. It was fortunate that he hadn't been harmed by stray shrapnel.

Finally, his ears regained some modicum of functionality. His mother was shouting his name as she deftly sidestepped a thick shard of crystal, worry etched on her pale features. Sasuke rose, ignoring the tickling on both sides of his face.

"If this is all Konoha has to offer, then I'm going to enjoy presenting your eyes to my master. I'm sure you know how useful they can be," the kunoichi purred as she laced her fingers together once more.

Sasuke watched as his mother placed her hands on the ground, sending a powerful surge of electricity that tore chunks of earth apart as it rushed towards the enemy kunoichi. Crystal protectively rose up around her, causing Mikoto's Raiton jutsu to dissipate harmlessly upon reaching the colored wall.

Electricity built up around Sasuke's fingers, and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw his mother give him a concerned glance. As strong as he had become, he knew that the technique he was about to perform was not as powerful as Mikoto's previous technique had been.

Still, he unleashed his attack and watched as it too failed to puncture the kunoichi's crystals. The shield around the woman shattered outwards in murderous retaliation, throwing more shards of jagged, colored stone towards her opponents.

Even though his head wouldn't stop throbbing, Sasuke managed to avoid incurring additional damage. As Shibi and his own teammates confronted the woman, Mikoto caught Sasuke's attention.

"Sasuke, I have an idea of how to take her out. If she can hold her own against all eight of us, then she's likely the commander of this region. No one would assign someone without any skill or strength to oversee their troops," she said. "There's a Raiton technique I know that takes some time to set up and use. It has a lot of potential for collateral damage, so we're going to lure her to the village square."

Lightning was definitely the key. Bloodline or not, anything comprised of and resembling earth had an inherent weakness to Raiton jutsu. Regardless of how much such a weakness was dampened, enough power would break through it.

Apparently, the Uchiha matriarch had a technique with the amount of power necessary for the job. Sasuke hadn't heard of it before, but he nodded obediently. The village square was fortunately nearby and had a large amount of space to work with.

Sasuke watched as his mother flicked through a series of hand-seals meant to convey short, discreet messages once she had part of Shibi's attention. In turn, the Aburame subtly passed the plan along to his own teammates.

"You all are entirely too boring," the kunoichi jeered, punching an attacking Ame-nin away with a crystal-covered fist. "Konoha's all talk, I think. All bluster and no muster and all that? You Ame-nin don't count, either. Whatever half-baked plan you've cooked up won't work."

"Who _is_ she?" Sasuke asked, perhaps a bit too loudly.

The kunoichi shrugged. "Might as well humor you since I'm going to kill you all anyway. I'm Guren," she introduced. Then, Guren forced a thick spike of crystal out of the ground and sent it on its merry way to one of Shibi's teammates.

A quick substitution allowed the Konoha-nin to escape, and the other friendly ninja took the opportunity to begin attempting to herd Guren towards the village square. No one expected it to be easy considering how defensive the kunoichi could be.

Guren didn't have unlimited chakra, however. In the end, it was still eight ninja- some from Konoha, some from Ame- facing a single enemy. Unless she was a jinchuriki or had some hidden ace up her sleeve, she would eventually tire and fall.

Based on her level of skill, she wasn't _too_ strong, and she definitely wasn't a Tailed Beast container. Guren didn't have any recognizable hallmarks of one and her chakra definitely didn't feel uncontrolled like Naruto's did.

Guren slowly began to move. Whenever she didn't attack, the combined ninja peppered her with shuriken, kunai, and in Shibi's case, chakra-draining beetles.

Precise and subtle movements eventually succeeded in pushing her closer to the square. She had stopped attacking and was frowning at them all, as well as at the area around her. Wooden houses were a short distance away and there was a stone fountain next to her.

"So you've all decided to box me in here, away from the little civilians," Guren dryly stated. She snorted and continued, "It won't make a difference. I can still defeat any and all of you."

"If that were true, then this battle would have been concluded earlier," Shibi stoically stated.

Sasuke caught the signal his mother was sending he and Yume. Their hands fluidly moved through seals, and they both sent large, hot fireballs into the sky. Guren watched them sail up from the corner of her eyes.

Shibi and his subordinates adjusted their positions and drew additional projectiles, intent on preventing their foe from leaving the vicinity. Two Konoha-nin had placed their hands on the rough ground, preparing to use a Doton technique in case Guren chose to escape in that particular fashion.

Sasuke and Yume spat out another pair of fireballs into the sky, and Mikoto grinned viciously when she saw clouds beginning to form. Cumulonimbus clouds tended to be common in the Land of Lightning, where thunderstorms occasionally appeared.

A localized version would suit the matriarch's needs just as well and would deal less damage to the environment, thus reducing the chance of civilian causalities. Guren would be in the epicenter of the attack.

Guren raised her head and her eyes widened before she giggled to herself. "That's what you all were doing? My master always said I was too arrogant for my own good. Much too arrogant..." As the sky darkened further, the kunoichi burst into hysterical laughter.

Uchiha Mikoto raised an electrically sparking hand up and brought it down with authority.

The lightning brought forth by the storm conditions the two younger Uchiha had created was released, shooting downward with a brilliant flash of light.

Directed and shaped by Mikoto's chakra, the lightning bolt hit right above Guren's position. However, its blast radius was enough to force the Uchiha matriarch's comrades to back away in order to avoid being injured by their her powerful attack.

Rubble was sent into the air and the simple fountain that Guren had been standing by was obliterated. When the dust settled, all that was left was a relatively small crater and a peculiar, lingering odor. The clouds above had rapidly begun to disperse as well.

There was silence for a few moments- bar the distant shouts- and Shibi declared, "I believe that rather impressive technique of yours has ended this, Mikoto."

Sasuke's eyes were wide in astonishment at the sheer strength his mother was able to wield. "What... what _was_ that?" he muttered. Yume shared the same thoughts.

"That," Mikoto began to explain, "was Kirin. Manipulating natural lightning is part of how a person can utilize it. Without a stormy sky, a user has to waste time creating the conditions. I haven't tried it on an enemy before, though..."

"You think vaporizing her went too far?" Shibi joked- or tried to joke, considering he was using a monotone voice.

Mikoto's eyes narrowed. "No, she's still alive!" she quickly announced.

A few of the friendly ninja looked shocked at that declaration even as the rubble in the center of the artificial crater began to shake and move. Each ninja prepared themselves for the confrontation to resume.

Sasuke fell into a defensive stance and stared intently at the shifting stones. Then, with a loud bang, tiny fragments of stone shot out from the ground. One volley was rapidly headed towards him, another towards Shibi, and a final wave towards one of the Ame-nin who was standing too close to the crater.

A glint below caught Sasuke's eye as he attempted to move and he realized there was crystal binding his feet to the ground. The same crystals that Guren used for both offensive and defensive techniques were also restraining Shibi.

The Sharingan was always thought of as a blessing. In Konoha, people were generally impressed when a ninja awakened their bloodline limit, and the Sharingan was no exception.

Abilities that many soldiers would die for and many leaders would commit war crimes for were granted to the Uchiha gifted enough- or stressed enough- to unlock their clan's infamous eyes. Unparalleled prediction in battle, direct understanding of both taijutsu and ninjutsu, and powerful genjutsu were all blessings to those with the Sharingan.

However, at that moment, Sasuke felt that his eyes were more of a curse than anything else. Watching what could end up as his own death in slow motion was one of the few things that brought genuine fear to his heart.

He didn't want to see, nor commit the scene to memory. Sasuke clenched his fists and closed his eyes, deactivating his Sharingan in the process.

A scream, and a disturbing, pained gasp. When no pain came, Sasuke opened his eyes and saw his mother standing in front of him, acting as a shield for the small, earthen projectiles.

"W-What...?" Sasuke whispered. He could hear his cousin shouting something that didn't make sense to him at all- he couldn't make out the words.

His mother's hair fluttered slightly as she fell to her hands and knees, panting heavily. Had he been in front of her, Sasuke would've seen the dark red splotches on his mother's uniform, as well as the blood leaking from her lips.

From his perspective, all he knew was that his mother had prevented his possible death. However, he didn't know why that Doton jutsu had been aimed towards him. He wasn't the most dangerous shinobi in the vicinity. That distinction probably belonged to his mother and Aburame Shibi...

Quickly taking out a kunai, Sasuke hacked at the crystal ensnaring his foot and, much to his surprise, managed to crack it. Yanking his foot free, Sasuke sank down to where his mother was.

The Ame-nin had died, his body riddled with multiple puncture wounds. Shibi proved too crafty to ensnare and kill, and his body had broken apart into a writhing mass of insects right when the Aburame was hit.

"Your morality is both hilarious and sickening to see." Though the voice was crystal clear, its owner was nowhere to be seen until a large, brown-furred mole covered in gleaming armor burst out of the center of the crater. On top of it was Guren, whose back was slightly bent.

She hadn't escaped unscathed from Kirin's destructive force.

Her hands already raised, Yume cried, "How could you have possibly evaded that technique? There was no way you could've escaped!"

Guren looked down at the mole and back up at the kunoichi addressing her. "I think the answer is pretty obvious, girl," she crowed. "The only one who has a chance of getting through my defenses is that wretched woman over there, and I think she's done for."

"That does not matter," Shibi droned, stalking out of a corner with his beetles buzzing in a cloud around him. "Even if we are unable to remove you from the battle, your forces are being driven out, and you are losing. Ganshou is ours, and we will not falter. Surrender, and we will grant you reasonable terms."

"This is only one village," Guren stated. "In the end, Konoha will never be able to enforce their will. Konoha will never be able to control everything. Konoha will never win, no matter who they sway. The greater villages are all nothing compared to Orochimaru-sama, and he will change them. He will end their crimes."

Her statement hung in the air, the attacking ninja taking stock of her words before Sasuke came back to his senses. Glaring up at the enemy kunoichi, he exclaimed, "You're delusional if you think the villages are just going to let you walk all over them. What kind of shitty reasoning is this? He... Orochimaru's ninja have been the one trespassing on people's homes!"

"Is that what you really think?" Guren taunted. "All of the greater villages constantly look for an excuse to expand their borders, influence, and power. You see, it's all part of a twisted game they play, where everyone in-between is a casualty."

The mole's claws dug deeper into the dirt, forcing stone walls to rise from the ground and defend both animal and kunoichi against streams of fire and shuriken. Sasuke refrained from making seals when he saw his mother begin to violently cough, rivulets of blood dripping from her mouth.

When it seemed as if her arms couldn't hold her body up any longer, Sasuke put her arm around his shoulder to stop her from collapsing on the dirt. Eyes watering in distress, the male Uchiha sent another glare towards Guren as the stone walls the mole had erected collapsed.

Guren gazed at the distance before frowning and turning back to her enemies. They were readying for another assault, despite how little their previous efforts had done against her.

"You're lucky, Uchiha boy, that that woman isn't dead. I'd love to see how you'd all react when you experience what we have experienced, but my time is running low. Everyone here will eventually become a casualty and that includes your loved ones. Don't forget it!"

The mole lifted its claws from the ground and slipped under the hole it had hidden in to avoid the brunt of Mikoto's jutsu. The earth trembled slightly as it knit itself together, hiding the hole and filling the crater in, leaving nothing but uneven ground behind.

The few ninja with some skill in Doton jutsu felt the soil in an attempt to find Guren's changing location, but ultimately failed. However, Sasuke's attention was diverted when he felt his mother moving.

"Sas-Sasuke... I'm... I'm..."

She couldn't finish the sentence and her son was forced to hold her entire body weight up. Fortunately, his mother didn't weigh much to him, especially if he was using chakra to strengthen his muscles.

"Hey, I need help here!" Sasuke screamed, seeing his mother completely lose consciousness.

The Aburame made his way towards Sasuke once he deemed the vicinity secure. "I cannot do anything immediate for her blood loss, but my insects can help disinfect her wounds. Do not worry; I will do my best, and my insects have notified me that the others have finished their tasks," Shibi reassured.

Sasuke stared at his mother with wide, panic-stricken eyes. Right at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to have a nervous breakdown and shout at the sky for a few minutes.

Anything was better than watching his mother's lifeblood leave her body.

A strong hand grabbed Sasuke's arm and forcefully removed it from Mikoto. His belligerent protests were silenced as soon as he realized a medic was tending to his mother.

One was tending to him, too. Apparently, he had injured his ankle when he had ripped it free from the binding crystals. Adrenaline had a way of numbing pain.

"Her first!" Sasuke snapped, nearly shoving the medic away. Seeing as his injuries were not as severe as his mother's, the medic listened and left him be.

His eyes were fixed on his mother's form. She was set on her back, with two medic-nin examining, cleaning, and healing the damage done to her body. Words and phrases were passed back and forth that Sasuke couldn't quite understand.

Uchiha Mikoto had held her own in a fight, like she had said she would. Never had she explicitly said that she would escape unscathed, and Sasuke hated himself for not making his mother say- no, _swear_ it.

Another hand grabbed him and dragged him away. "You're going to bother them. Let the medics do their job and patch Mikoto-sama up," Yume gently chided. Sasuke's eyes didn't stray. "Hey, are you paying attention? Mikoto-sama is strong; she'll pull through, don't worry!"

A feral-looking woman with a large, scarred dog was talking to Shibi in hushed tones. From her pinched expression, it was easy to see that she wasn't pleased. What she wasn't pleased with though was up in the air.

Other shinobi were gazing forlornly at the bodies of their dead comrades. Some were crying silently. A few were starting to move the unneeded corpses of their enemies into large piles meant for complete incineration.

A civilian or two were poking their heads out of their homes, trying to see whether or not it was safe to exit. Most of the fighting had occurred outside of the village and the majority of the enemy had been successfully killed, captured, or driven off.

"You're not seeing any of this, are you?" Yume flatly asked.

Yume's cousin met her eyes and then promptly returned to staring at the working medics. Frustrated at his stubbornness, she raised a hand into the air and smacked the back of his head. Stunned at the sudden blow, Sasuke stumbled, blinked, and then gaped at Yume incredulously.

"What," Sasuke bit out, "was that for?"

The kunoichi crossed her arms over her chest as she kept walking, slowly leading Sasuke away from his mother. "I'm worried as much as you are-" Definitely false since Mikoto wasn't her mother, "-but you should help out here. There might be stragglers, so help out a bit. It'll take your mind off Mikoto-sama so the medics can work in peace without you breathing down their necks."

"You can't think I'm going to abandon her," Sasuke said in disbelief.

"I don't expect you to," Yume replied. "The medics will do their best. From what I saw, none of those wounds looked fatal. If they can seal the punctures and give her a blood transfusion, I think she'll be fine."

"A blood transfusion? _Here_? They don't-"

"Sasuke," Yume interrupted, "are you really going to doubt our village's medics? Those who have received lessons from Tsunade-sama?"

Mikoto's son didn't answer and instead hurriedly left, deciding to focus on other things. There were, after all, many other tasks that needed to be carried out since the battle was winding down.

Although the battle had ended in their favor, Sasuke didn't feel victorious at all. His mother probably would've chided him on how selfish he was being.

It wasn't like he could help it. The stinging of his eyes wouldn't go away.

**VvVvV**

"The sensors haven't detected anything, and the Doton experts haven't felt anyone exit from underneath," Inuzuka Tsume sourly informed. Her canine partner had left to sniff out remaining enemies or any possibly crippled friendlies.

"That is unfortunate," Shibi noted. "The survival of a kunoichi with her level of skill does not bode well for us."

"We can get rid of her next time," the feral lady grunted. "Hokage-sama is sure to send reinforcements if we're going to continue moving."

"The death toll was not high. A precaution, perhaps, in case we encounter those modified soldiers?"

Tsume didn't answer, instead walking over to the uneven ground where the artificial crater had been. The Doton users were still probing the earth, searching for anything interesting or out of the ordinary. "I take it you three found something?" the Inuzuka dryly remarked.

Their surprise at Tsume's attentiveness was quickly squashed and one of the users cleared her throat before saying, "Yes, Captain. Although they've collapsed, we have found remnants of a series of tunnels that run underneath this village."

"Underground tunnels? Explain," Tsume ordered.

"They're pretty deep in," another Doton expert answered, "and at one point they all must have been interconnected. They were probably created for quick escapes or to move shinobi squads without being seen. It'd be difficult to find them unless someone skilled in Doton jutsu was paying attention."

"To avoid them being used by an enemy, Guren destroyed them as she was leaving," Shibi muttered. Gazing at the short-lived crater in thought, he added, "I am surprised at the presence of that mole, though. I was not aware there were any summoning contracts with such an animal."

"Orochimaru probably got his hands on it. Villages can hide their shit well and it'd never be secure enough for him," Tsume grouched. "Can you figure out where she went, or is it still a no-go?"

A negative response was given. It was a dead end.

Tsume and Shibi left the three Doton users to their own devices with the instructions to inform them if anything else was found. "You think there are more of those tunnel systems in the other villages? I can't imagine something as useful as that would be limited to one area," Tsume said.

"Destabilizing the other tunnels should not be difficult," Shibi hazarded, "so long as we find or create an entry point."

"Feels like one of the puppies trying to find those rabbits that like to burrow in the backyard..."

Shibi inclined his head as a sickly old man limped up to them. For the most part, the man was hairless, bar his bushy white eyebrows, with skin sagged by age. He glanced around at the ninja moving debris and aiding in cleanup.

"A-Ah, you're the... well, leaders, right?" the elder began in a raspy, cracking voice.

"I am Aburame Shibi, and this is-"

"Tsume," the Inuzuka matron butt in. "Who're you?"

"My name is Noboru. I'm not one to mince words, so I'm here to thank you for freeing my village." The man coughed before continuing, "I'm not one to be ignorant of your customs, either. I'm sure you haven't saved my village out of the kindness of your heart."

Shibi and Tsume exchanged a glance before the Aburame answered, "We would like to station our ninja here while we free the rest of the nation from enemy influence, if that is all right."

They were hoping to encourage such a thing without having it be directly brought up. Let the civilians live in their own world and allow a peaceful occupation. Not everyone was willing to buy that, it seemed.

"Are you asking me or are you telling me?"

"Asking," Tsume growled. "Konoha doesn't go for force first. Staying here would be nice since we wouldn't have to run to Amegakure no Sato and back every time we wanted to do something productive. You wouldn't want those Suna idiots to come back, would you?"

Shibi let out a sigh and said, "Please don't, Tsume." Sometimes the woman could rub him the wrong way, to the point where he'd briefly let go of his stoicism. Years of being acquaintances hadn't helped.

The old man smoothed out his red kimono and neutrally said, "My village and I would be happy to aid the ones who freed us from our captors, though I hope you won't bleed us dry. We have our own children to feed, and our own work to do."

"What, you want us to pay you?"

Noboru hummed for a moment. "Not quite. As long as you don't take everything, I think we can strike a deal. Unfortunately," the man's blue eyes glanced at the ground in sadness, "a few of our townspeople were killed when the village was first taken. Several able men perished in order to prevent an uprising, and we're shorthanded. Ninja can do many times the amount of work a civilian can do."

"Your fields need to be tended," Shibi deduced, immediately understanding what Noboru was getting at.

Nodding at the correct reply, Noboru adjusted his footing before gesturing towards the distance, where Ganshou's crops were located. "We were lucky. I'd rather not survive simply on luck, though. Having a constant food supply will help. Fish is nice, but nutrition is vital, as I'm sure you two know."

"Help us, and we'll help you," Tsume remarked. "That sounds reasonable enough to me. Our ninja will beha-"

"Yes, yes, good conduct and all of that," Noboru muttered, waving a hand in the air. He fixed the unamused Inuzuka matron with a hard stare. "Don't lead them back to us. We have our own children here that are defenseless. How will they react when they see that we still can't defend them?"

"We are aware of that, and we will do our best to defend you," Shibi replied. He extended a hand, and the elder grabbed it before shaking heartily.

"I'll inform the others. Information goes by fast in a place like this." With that, Noboru hobbled away, muttering under his breath.

The two Konoha ninja watched the man depart.

"I don't like him," Tsume announced.

"You don't like elders to begin with," Shibi lightly replied. "The only one you tolerate and even respect is Hokage-sama."

She snorted. "We should go find the ranking Ame-nin and relay the news. We'll have to move onward soon once everything is set here."

"Yes," Shibi absently agreed. His head swiveled to the right and he gazed at the tents that the medic-nin had erected. Currently, more than a few of them were dealing with the injured. A few had already been lost.

He hoped that no one else would depart the land of the living. Not only because of the damage it would do to Konoha's strength, but also because of the havoc it would wreak on the mentality of the younger ninja who had never truly experienced the brutality of war.

Dealing with death was one thing. Obtaining a first kill was just that: a first kill. The death of a loved one was a different, much more difficult experience.

Shibi sincerely hoped it wouldn't come to that. However, he knew better. Most of the time he wished he didn't.

* * *

><p><strong>Read, review, let me know if there are any errors, be they grammatical, spelling, or continuity oriented. This includes characterization.<strong>

**This chapter took a long time to get out, and it was mostly because I detested writing the scene with Sasuke, Guren, and the others. I must've rewrote that scene several times over, and I still don't like it. The scene with Onoki and friends wasn't that bad, though.**

**Well, let's see how this is received. I didn't like it, and it feels kind of stilted, so I'll be checking into the scrutiny. Tell me what you all think.**


	33. Meeting

Chapter Thirty-three: Meeting

(Kumogakure no Sato)

The Raikage sat in a hard, metal chair, lifting a large dumbbell with methodical ease. Unlike the other village leaders, he preferred to train while on the job, and his bulging muscles were a testament to his dedication and willpower.

There was no need to sign papers all day and allow your muscles to deteriorate. An opportunity was an opportunity, and he disliked letting one of those go.

A knock sounded out on his office door and his assistant moved to answer it. Once the identity of the newcomer was established, the door opened and a fair-skinned, blonde woman entered, her every stride oozing the confidence she had built up over the years.

The Raikage did not look up, instead focusing on the dumbbell in his right hand. He didn't need to, for he expected the newcomer to explain to him whether or not the mission he had assigned her was a successful one.

So far, all of the missions associated with the war that had been assigned to her had been carried out and completed. Kumo's leader knew that one of his top kunoichi would get the job done in the most efficient manner possible.

Or, at least, get the job done. Sometimes a plan could go wrong. A moment in his past was brought to mind and his ever-present scowl deepened.

"Raikage-sama," the blonde woman began, bowing to her leader.

"Well?" the Raikage gruffly said in reply. "Let's hear it, Yugito."

"I was successful. What few Konoha-nin remained near the edge of the Land of Hot Water were easily routed, and those that remained behind were killed once their questioning was completed. Darui has taken control of our forces in my absence and will meet with the Oto-nin before heading into the Land of Fire. He's awaiting further orders."

The burly man nodded as he transferred the dumbbell to his left hand and began a new series of repetitions. "The Land of Snow is going to be defeated," he grunted.

Yugito raised an eyebrow.

"They can't deal with Kirigakure for long. Their activity has roused Yagura and he has begun to move. So long as we don't confront him, he should stay away from us."

"Thus, allowing us to focus our efforts on Konoha," Mabui finished. A large part of her didn't like what was happening; unfortunately, it wasn't as if she could change anything.

The jinchuriki nodded and asked, "What do you wish for me to do next, Raikage-sama?"

A moment passed with the only movement in the office being the burly man's arm. Finally, he said, "I want you to rejoin Darui and lead the assault into the forests. Tell my ninja to use those Oto-nin as shields. Better them than us, and we'll be able to pick off the Konoha-nin as they tire.

"With you spearheading our assault, they should fall back quickly. We'll be able to take their land bit by bit until they're boxed in. I doubt they can handle too much with Kusagakure occupying the northwestern portion of the Land of Fire."

"Are you not going to sack the village itself?" Yugito asked, tilting her head slightly. Her brow furrowed slightly as she felt a familiar presence approaching.

With a loud clang, the dumbbell hit the ground. "Let Kusa deal with that problem. If Konoha survives, and I have no doubt they will, then we will-"

An exasperated expression passed through his face and he sighed loudly as the door to his office was thrown open, nearly being forced off of its hinges. Another dark-skinned man walked in, a rhythm only he could hear dictating his steps.

"I thought I told you to knock, Bee," A dryly stated.

"Yo! What's goin' on, bro? Hey, I see Yugito-chan and Mabui-chan are hiding in here!" Killer Bee's sunglasses seemingly gleamed of their own accord. "Mind telling me why ya'll are so austere?"

A rather large vein on the Raikage's temple throbbed violently. Blowing out his breath through clenched teeth, he bit out, "Bee, we're planning our next move. What is so important that you had to bother me _now_? Mabui, didn't I tell you to tell everyone else to keep Bee out?"

"My apologies, Raikage-sama," Mabui muttered. "You know how Bee gets."

Yes, A did know how his brother got. If Bee was motivated enough, he'd subtly slip away from Kumogakure and become nearly impossible to find while inadvertently causing trouble in some way. For some reason, the Hachibi jinchuriki could be incredibly crafty when he wanted to be.

It was completely at odds with his battle style, which was simply overwhelming strength, not to mention his odd personality. Bee's rapping was only tolerable for so long before it could drive a person insane.

The Raikage didn't blame him. He too would get stir-crazy if he was cooped up in one area for too long. However, Killer Bee had a duty to protect the village, and it was completely necessary for Bee to carry it out. It was far more important than his- admittedly poor- rapping career.

Too bad Bee didn't see it that way.

"Planning your next move? You got something to prove?" Bee folded his arms. "Jinchuriki-sama heard what you did in the Land of Hot Water. You sure they needed the slaughter?"

"We didn't _slaughter_ them, Bee," Yugito replied, beginning to sound irritated. "The ones who fought back were dealt with. And how do you know about this already? I just got back."

Bee shrugged and smirked at the woman.

"He was probably eavesdropping or something," the Raikage grunted. "What do you want, Bee? If you're here to ask for a vacation, then forget it."

"No, bro!" Bee rapidly shook his head. "Hachibi-sama and I were takin' a break from training, and we saw a Kirigakure ship float by."

"_What!?_" A roared, leaping from his seat. He grabbed Bee's scarf and shook him menacingly. "And you didn't do anything, Bee!?"

"Hey, they waved to me, I waved to them, and we all said good-bye," Bee defensively replied.

"They could be heading to the Land of Snow," Mabui hazarded. "Yagura has been fairly isolated in the past. Were there any other ships, Kirabi-sama?"

"Just that one ship, floating on a trip."

"Who were they?" the Raikage demanded, successfully restraining himself. To the others in the room, it was clear to see that their leader was still pissed off and that his temper would quickly reach its boiling point should he become angered again.

"Eh..." Bee trailed off and looked up in thought. "One of them had a mask over his face and the other was waving all over the place. He had white hair and a fat sword on board. Hell, they had blades in spades!"

"Then it's likely that they're two of the Swordsmen," Mabui said. "Each of them are master assassins and I'm guessing Yagura is planning to remove the leader of Snow while purging them from his seas."

"Bee, I want you to watch out just in case. Take your team with you to help patrol the valley and _do not_ slack off!" A barked. "I don't want to hear Karui complaining again about your habits, nor do I want them to surprise us due to you not paying attention. Kirigakure warships aren't something I'm willing to take lightly."

Killer Bee pouted.

"If you do this, I'll..." The Raikage's lip curled as if he had tasted something incredibly bitter. "I'll let you have a vacation. But only a short one!"

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," the other jinchuriki in the office dryly muttered.

"Don't worry, Yugito-chan!" Bee planted his hands on his hips and grinned. "Jinchuriki-sama's the man!" When no one seemed to be impressed by the pose he had stricken, the Hachibi jinchuriki added, "Where're my cute chunin buddies, by the way?"

**VvVvV**

(Konohagakure no Sato, Forty-Fourth Training Ground)

He fell to his knees, feeling delirious in the aftermath of the destruction he had inflicted. All around him, large shards of wood were either lying on or sticking out of the forest floor. Parts of the area were blackened, and the smell of burning foliage tickled his nostrils.

A low groan made its way from his throat as Naruto rubbed his brow. Using the Kyuubi's chakra was becoming easier and easier, but a downside was the extreme stress he was experiencing. Exhaustion and pain, both mental and physical, unleashed havoc on his body.

On the outside, he looked fine. Indeed, he was the only clean, complete thing in the clearing. Everything else had a high chance of passing scrutiny as a battleground.

High-speed regeneration and great power came at a price. When Naruto had asked the Kyuubi for any tips on how to deal with the pain, the large beast had mentioned something about truth, which made no immediate sense.

The jinchuriki would figure it out eventually. He was still dealing with the information the Hokage had given him, which the general populace of Konoha was not privy to.

"**Are you now? Had you asked, I would have mentioned it**," a deep, baritone voice rumbled within the confines of the blonde's head.

Blinking in surprise, Naruto scoffed and then shrugged. How was he supposed to know if the Kyuubi was going to let anything slip? Their camaraderie- or what passed for it- had only recently developed, and was slowly progressing forward.

_Was I supposed to know that I wasn't your first jinchuriki?_ Naruto dryly asked. Speaking aloud tended to make the people around him paranoid. It didn't bode well for how his sanity was perceived, either.

Of course, Naruto really _did_ have another voice in his head, one that actually existed.

"**Obviously not. Have you gotten over your surprise at what that old man told you?**"

_I wish I knew about that earlier_, the blond replied, scratching his chin absentmindedly. He noted that his nails weren't razor-sharp anymore. _Neither Uzumaki Mito nor my mom used your powers, so I'm out of a template. I think I'm doing pretty well, though. Don't you?_

Chuckling rang throughout his head. "**You're asking for my opinion on the amount of destruction you've wreaked? Believe me, it pales in comparison to what I've seen before.**"

_I meant my progress with your chakra_, Naruto exasperatedly corrected.

The fox was silent for a few seconds before it replied, saying, "**I wouldn't know. Your predecessors left me alone and weren't stupid enough to pick fights with others like them.**"

Naruto straightened and glanced up at the thick canopy of leaves above him. The Hokage had made it clear that there was no precedent for using a Tailed Beast's chakra in Konoha, as neither of the other jinchuriki had ever had any real reason to use it.

That bit of information rankled. How had the Kyuubi escaped from his mother, then? If she hadn't been using its chakra, and her seal was locked tight, how had the old fox gotten out?

"**Before you ask**," the Kyuubi rumbled, reading Naruto's thoughts, "**I'm not going to tell you. Loathe ****as I am to admit it, that night is my own personal failing.**"

_What do you mean?_

The Kyuubi didn't reply. Naruto did get an interesting tidbit of info, although in the end the circumstances of his birth were still hidden. The old man had simply stated that the Kyuubi had broken free and had begun a campaign of destruction.

"Naruto!"

Quickly ending his mental conversation, the blonde turned to the man who was calling his name. Naruto supposed that the man was always going to be hanging out nearby, as the ninja in question had a special ability to restrain a Biju's chakra.

Yamato's appearance was reminiscent of any run-of-the-mill Konoha-nin, with the exception of his forehead protector, which resembled what Senju Tobirama wore when he was still alive. Short, messy brown hair sat on top of his head, and his dark eyes seemed to pierce whatever they were staring at.

In Naruto's humble opinion, the man was incredibly creepy. He was a skilled shinobi, yes, but undeniably weird. Plus, he had been in ANBU, or so Kakashi had said. That was definitely a hallmark of creepiness.

Couple his appearance and history with his ability to use the famed Wood Release Senju Hashirama had been known for, and one ended up with an odd individual uniquely suited to help Naruto train in the usage of the Kyuubi's chakra.

Should Naruto lose control of himself, Yamato could restrain him. He had demonstrated upon inquiry when Konoha's resident jinchuriki was struggling to maintain three chakra tails at once.

Yamato jumped into the clearing, gazing at the damage around him. His expression was mildly reproving.

"Hey, Yamato. Maybe I should've told you before I went out to train?" The blonde sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, a lopsided grin pasted on the lower half of his face.

"It's not safe to practice without my presence, Naruto," Yamato chided. "You know this more than anyone else."

"Well, yeah, but..." Naruto trailed off. He didn't like the idea of having a caretaker watching over him just because he was a jinchuriki. That didn't sit well with him at all. He sighed and added, "Yeah, I know, Yamato."

Catching the blonde's eyes, Yamato smiled and said, "Don't worry, Naruto. No one thinks any different of you. In fact, everyone would be proud if they knew how much effort you were putting in. Kakashi-sempai especially."

Naruto puffed out his chest and smirked. "They _should_ be proud. Dealing with this is a pain in the ass. I'm glad I'm the one who has to do it rather than them, though. It _hurts_, ya know."

Yamato nodded in approval. "Everyone has their own tasks and missions to perform. Be sure to carry it out to the best of your ability." The ninja crossed his arms over his chest. "However, I wasn't sent here solely to check up on you."

"Really?" Naruto raised an eyebrow and trudged forward. "What's going on, Yamato?"

The shinobi's eyes flashed menacingly as he subjected Naruto to one of his patented death-stares. A shudder immediately went down Naruto's spine and the blonde involuntarily straightened. "Are you sure you aren't forgetting anything, Naruto?" Yamato intoned.

...Oh. He had been given orders earlier on in the day to meet with the Hokage at noon. To be fair, Naruto couldn't accurately gauge the position of the sun since the Forest of Death had trees large enough to choke out its light.

"I lost track of time," Naruto sheepishly admitted, walking past his caretaker, who abruptly turned and followed. "What does the Hokage want with me, anyway?"

Yamato's lips quirked. "I have an idea, but we won't know for sure until we see him. I'm sure that it'll be important."

Naruto was silent and remained silent until they exited the gargantuan training ground. "You think he's deploying me?" the jinchuriki quietly asked.

"I'm betting it's something along those lines," Yamato murmured. Naruto frowned in confusion.

Konoha was still bustling with activity. Despite the rocky start to the war, people were selling food, buying supplies, and chatting about everyday, pointless trivialities. A few ninja were also participating in the conversations, hoping to forget whatever recent woes they were afflicted with.

A large part of Konoha's ninja force was either training, preparing for battle, or _in_ battle. At least a few would never return home. They could, however, take solace in the fact that they were defending their comrades and loved ones.

As the two shinobi passed by, civilians gave them nods of respect and smiles of both sympathy and gratitude. Naruto indulged in these smiles, for the people saw him more often than not as a ninja of Konoha rather than a Tailed Beast container.

It was a step up and he felt like he was progressing in his goals.

"Here we are," Yamato announced. He entered the large building where the Hokage was situated, bypassing several attendants and fellow ninja in the process, with Naruto close behind.

Yamato entered the Hokage's office without preamble once they were in front of it. Obviously, the Hokage _had_ been expecting them, and Naruto was thankful that the old man had such a large amount of patience when it came to him.

However, Naruto couldn't repress the guilty wince when he saw the Hokage's eyes glinting amusedly.

"So, did he remember, Yamato?"

"No, Hokage-sama. He lost track of time while _training_," the Mokuton-user dryly replied.

Chuckles sounded around the room and Naruto took stock of who was present. The Hokage was sitting behind his desk, patient as always, with his old teammates standing beside him. Another elder with bandages covering one of his eyes was standing in a corner with his head bowed.

Jiraiya, the smirking fool, was leaning against a wall near the office door. Sarutobi Asuma was reclining in a chair in front of his father's desk, his customary cigarette conspicuously absent.

"You should pay more attention to your superiors, Naruto," Jiraiya chided, grinning at the scowl his apprentice shot him. "I think you're pretty lucky you haven't missed anything important yet."

Before Naruto could utter a retort, he noticed a familiar mane of fiery red hair. A grin broke out on his face, and he said, "Is that Karin?"

The person turned and threw the blonde a cheeky grin. "Is that how you greet a lady like me?" Karin joked.

"Since Naruto was late, I'm going to have to cut the introductions short," the Hokage gently interrupted. "Do you have any idea of why you were called here, Naruto?"

At the shake of the blonde's head, Hiruzen turned his own towards the old man in the corner. In a raspy voice, the elder began to explain. "With the Mizukage's _acceptance_," the man demurred, "we now have an adequate means of putting pressure on Kumogakure's back. In addition, with our forces advancing westward towards the Land of Wind, we are slowly beginning to control this war."

The woman near the Hokage continued in place of her fellow elder, "Recently, we sent a messenger to the Land of Earth, one that was ordered to go straight to the Tsuchikage himself. In that message was a proposal for a temporary alliance, at least until this war ends."

"Did he accept?"

"He did, astonishing as it is," Homura picked up. "To solidify the arrangement, we're going to meet the Tsuchikage in Takigakure no Sato. The village's leader will preside over the meeting."

A silence settled over the group as the elders allowed everyone a few moments to absorb the given information. Asuma looked rather disbelieving, whereas Jiraiya's smirk had widened. Karin and Yamato were both quiet, and Naruto was bewildered.

"Have something you want to say, Naruto?" the Hokage questioned.

"The path to Takigakure from Konoha is blocked," Naruto muttered. "How are we supposed to reach it? Iwa can enter fairly easily, but we can't." The blonde paused. "Does Shibuki even know what's going on?"

"As Takigakure is one of the villages friendly to us, they are notified whenever something like this comes up," Danzo explained. "Although I doubt their strength, their aid will help us at this particular point in time. Their jinchuriki should be helpful as well."

Naruto couldn't help but frown at the way the elder had mentioned Fuu. Nothing malicious could be felt from his words, yet the man gave off a bad vibe that the jinchuriki couldn't shake.

"Kusa may very well turn their sights to Taki as well. It is in Shibuki's benefit to stage this meeting," the Hokage added. "Besides, won't you and Karin-chan be happy to see one of your former comrades from those chunin exams years ago?"

"That doesn't answer my first question, Hokage-jiji," Naruto deadpanned.

"Oh, don't worry about that. Asuma-kun, Yamato, and Jiraiya-kun have a mission of their own, one that should leave Kusa's army with a not-so-pleasant surprise." Hiruzen chuckled at how impatient Naruto was getting. He could only force himself to be still for so long, it seemed. "We're going to go through the Land of Rain, which is why Karin-chan is traveling with us. The Mizukage will be informed of the event, but as his village is quite a distance away, there likely won't be any issues."

"Nagato and... Yahiko-san, are going to be informed too, right?"

"They already know, Naruto-kun," the Hokage replied. "Karin-chan is going in their stead. They already have their hands full at the moment. We, however, have the luxury of a larger and more able population, which is why my two teammates and I will be setting out.

"Danzo-" The Hokage gestured to the man with the bandages, "-will be overseeing certain village affairs while I am gone. This trip shouldn't take too long, as we will be fighting for a common cause, one that Taki can appreciate, too."

"So why am I needed, then?" Naruto was genuinely wondering exactly why he was being brought along.

The old Hokage reached into his sleeve and pulled out a wooden pipe. Placing it into his mouth, he lit the pipe with a minor Katon jutsu and puffed on it contently. "In order to help remove any bad blood between us, I felt that it would be prudent to introduce you to the Tsuchikage," Hiruzen slowly explained.

Naruto frowned. "This is about my lineage, right? You're just telling the old geezer not to go crazy knowing I exist?"

"I doubt he would go crazy," Homura stated with a chuckle. "Onoki, although stubborn, is a very intelligent and reasonable man."

"You don't live to eighty as a ninja without picking up a few things here and there," Koharu said, a wry smile on her face.

Asuma and Yamato had already been informed of who Naruto's parents were at a previous point in their lives. Karin had not and was fairly curious of her distant relative's lineage.

"Any other questions, Naruto?" The jinchuriki shook his head at the Hokage's prompting. "Very well. Pack and prepare for a three week-long trip."

**VvVvV**

(The Land of Grass)

After entering the Land of Rain where Amegakure no Sato resided and being granted entry, the group of Konoha-nin were able to skim past Kusa's standing army and enter their nation through a different route. Fortunately, they were able to evade both suspicion and detection.

Having the Hokage with them was a boon, too. He was able to pick the safest paths and could- quite easily, too- spot incoming shinobi. Hiruzen's skills sped up the trip and eventually allowed Jiraiya and Asuma to figure out a way to infiltrate Kusagakure.

_Slap!_

"I hate mosquitoes," Naruto muttered, brushing the remains of an annoying pest off of his arm. The bite wouldn't transmit anything harmful to him, but the itchiness, no matter how brief, still served as an irritant.

"Your chakra control must really suck, huh?" Karin asked. She was clad in common ninja attire, though her sleeves were longer and wider. "If you channel chakra through your skin, mosquitoes and other bugs can't bite through it. They're not exactly strong."

Grumbling to himself, Naruto jumped through some leaves, onto a branch, and then back to the ground, following the path set before him by his village leader. The Hokage and his teammates were nearby and were in the lead position.

At least, they _were_. Naruto stopped moving and looked around, feeling anxious. Karin landed next to him with a similar expression of unease. "What the...? Where'd they go?" she asked.

"Hokage-jiji wouldn't just ditch us. That's not his style. I think something's gone wrong here," Naruto worriedly guessed.

"I hope whatever remains of Kusa's forces aren't going to ambush us," Karin quietly murmured.

"I doubt it. The Hokage is powerful enough to make _anyone_ think twice before attacking, and we were traveling with him." Naruto turned around and then glanced back at where the Hokage had been. "I think we should keep moving forward. Taki's obviously not going anywhere."

They did just that, continuing onward while keeping a close eye on their surroundings. Nothing threatening immediately presented itself and every now and then both of the Uzumaki ninja disrupted their chakra flow to ensure that they weren't captured in a genjutsu.

After they had been running through the foliage for fifteen minutes without any sign of the Hokage, Naruto's anxiety began to rise. A shiver ran down his spine and he distinctly felt like prey being chased down by a larger predator.

"We're being watched," said Karin lowly. "I can feel someone's chakra, only it's... tainted. Kind of like the one inside of you." Her expression twisted uncomfortably when Naruto stared closely at her.

"How did you...? Never mind, this is more important then anything else right now," the blonde stated with a shrug. "Who's watching us?"

Karin peered at the leaves and branches around her, trying to figure out their hidden foe's location. "The person keeps moving around," Karin informed. "I can't lock onto the ninja for long. Whoever they are, they're good."

Light, sibilant chuckling filled the air, sending chills down their spines. Instinctively, both of their bodies locked up in raw, primal fear.

"My, my... how impressive. I never imagined a mere kunoichi from Amegakure no Sato would be able to detect my presence. Then again, Uzumaki ninja were always interesting. Such a shame I couldn't have found you earlier."

Naruto grit his teeth and forced himself to raise his arms. Channeling chakra to the redrawn seals on the palms of his hands, he unsealed his clawed gauntlets. Blood wasn't required anymore, thus improving their utility in combat.

Karin mirrored her friend's readiness, brandishing senbon in her right hand. "Where are you?" she nervously called out, her eyes darting between each area covered in foliage. Her rattled nerves were making it difficult to home on in their assailant's morbid chakra.

Much to their surprise, their opponent actually revealed himself, slinking out from the bushes like a slithering snake. A gray robe covered his body and the odd, purple belt around his waist made for a strange sight. To Naruto, the mystery man's sickly white skin made Nagato look like he was tanned.

"You... you're...!" Karin was gaping in fright and had lowered her arm, unable to keep her guard up in the face of such an enemy.

"I am Orochimaru," he said, giving the two teenagers a kindly smile. Of course, on him, it was a lot more sinister, but that was likely due to his reputation and appearance. "As intriguing as it is meeting the remnants of a once-powerful clan, I am much more interested in you, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Me?" Naruto incredulously blurted, getting over his surprise and apprehension. "What the hell would an international criminal like _you_ want with me? You're responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people!" The blonde glared at the infamous missing ninja.

Orochimaru's smirk fell and he gave the two ninja a melancholy frown. "I wish it didn't have to be that way. In this world, however, force is usually the only way to make people listen. Anything else falls on deaf ears."

"I'm sure you've done a great job making others see whatever your views are, what with the murdering and slaughtering," Naruto sarcastically remarked. "What do you want?" Naruto's claws began to buzz quietly as wind chakra flowed through them.

"For one thing, I was curious as to why Utakata couldn't convince you. Konoha is a cesspool of indoctrination and tyranny, one that you should've been glad to be away from. I suppose my old sensei did a fine job towards the contrary in regards to you."

"I'm not about to ditch my friends and I'm already working towards everyone's respect. I'm obviously not going to throw all of that work away," Naruto retorted. "Besides, I don't exactly believe much of what you're saying. Why are you making people fight? What's the point? What are you hoping to gain from it?"

Orochimaru glanced up, seemingly in thought. "Tell me, Naruto, do you really think that everything is truly fine the way it is? Look past yourself and instead focus on the others. How many children have become orphans due to the wars the great villages have waged? How much destruction has occurred, leaving innocents without a home and livelihood?"

"If you weren't so delusional, then you'd notice Konoha wasn't the one that started most of those conflicts," Naruto deadpanned.

The former Konoha-nin sighed, saying, "You've lived a harsh life as an orphan, one that I was forced into after the deaths of my parents. Do you really wish for people to experience what we have? Surely no one deserves such a thing."

The hairs on the back of Naruto's neck rose as his eyes narrowed. "You're right," he agreed, "I don't want people to experience that which is what I have. It _sucks_."

Karin shot him a worried glance and tried to raise her arms again. "Naruto..." she whispered, unable to shake her fright. She might've been a skilled kunoichi in her own right, but against an S-rank missing ninja such as Orochimaru, Karin might as well have been an injured rat for a hungry cat to play with.

"That doesn't mean I agree with the way you're going about things. Honestly, I don't really want to hear anything you have to say," Naruto heatedly stated before flaring his chakra and beginning to tap into the Kyuubi's power. "Besides, you've experienced _nothing_ like what I have."

Orochimaru's reaction was surprising. He looked genuinely saddened at Naruto's declaration. "Ignorance does you no good, Naruto. A child of the Yondaime Hokage should be aspiring for greater heights than to simply remain a servant of a village such as Konoha."

Karin couldn't quite contain her quiet gasp.

The man shook his head morosely and continued, "I apologize in advance for what I am about to do. In order to weaken Konoha, I must force the Kyuubi to vanish." Orochimaru brought his hands up to prepare a technique as a scarlet aura pulsated around Naruto.

With a small boom that made Karin move away from her friend, the Kyuubi's chakra burst from Naruto's pores and blasted into the sky, serving as a beacon for any ninja in the vicinity. Hopefully, the Hokage would be able to bail them out.

Naruto had serious doubts about his ability to stall a ninja like Orochimaru for long. Confidence didn't even factor in this particular match-up.

Two tails of chakra danced from behind the sole jinchuriki in the area and Naruto let out a loud roar that tore up the plants around Orochimaru. "How amusing. As powerful as these abilities are, you won't get far," the missing ninja declared, a grin appearing on his face.

He thrust his hands out, sending two condensed fists of wind that smacked right into Naruto. The blonde was sent rocketing backward, though his chakra tails wrapped around a tree trunk and sent him flying straight at Orochimaru like a slingshot.

Claws outstretched, Naruto made to slash Orochimaru's stomach. In response, the man bent his body grotesquely, easily evading the technique before using a two-handed strike to pound Naruto into the ground.

A long, sharp, white blade was produced out of seemingly nowhere, but Orochimaru was unable to stab Naruto with it. Strength and speed belying the blonde's size allowed him to grab the edges of the blade, halting its motion.

Orochimaru's strength was not to be ignored though and the former Konoha-nin slowly began to overpower the blonde. Admittedly, Naruto was not using as much power as he could due to Karin's proximity.

Then, the chakra tails twisted, and their ends became as sharp as a kunai. A larger grin split Orochimaru's face at the incoming attacks and he viciously kicked Naruto in the ribs, sending him bouncing away. "How disappointing," the criminal noted. "If only you chose otherwise."

Naruto quickly rose, glancing at Karin, who was still frozen in place. Blue chains rose out of his right wrist, wrapping around and pushing the red chakra surrounding his hand away. Although it was usually impossible for Naruto to use any techniques while manipulating the Kyuubi's chakra, his chains had unique properties due to their not-quite-physical nature.

"The Rasengan? I wonder, did Kakashi or Jiraiya teach you that technique? I'm sure one of them would've wanted you to have something of your father's, even if he didn't create it from scratch," Orochimaru mused. He twirled the white blade about in his hand and smirked, waiting for Naruto to charge onward.

It would definitely result in his death. The blonde, despite his great potential, simply would not be able to stop Orochimaru at this point in time.

As Naruto dug his heels into the dirt, he coaxed the chains surrounding his Rasengan to contract. The screeching ball started to shrink and, under its rising density, Naruto's knees began to buckle.

"Naruto! Stop right where you are!"

Like a bucket of cold water, the person's words washed away Naruto's inclination to attack, and the blonde thankfully allowed both his purple-tinted Rasengan and chakra cloak to fade away. His chakra chains retracted back into his skin, though the chunin never dropped his guard.

Hiruzen held a kunai up to Orochimaru's neck. Standing a few meters away were his old teammates, both of which had their hands up and both of which were wearing furious scowls. "I was wondering when you would show yourself, Orochimaru," the Hokage growled.

"And I was so close, too," Orochimaru dryly said. "I did hope for you to join my cause, Naruto, but unfortunately indoctrination runs deep and strong."

The Hokage brought the knife down, intending to sever his former student's spine. However, with a puff of smoke, Orochimaru vanished, leaving nothing behind of his presence.

"I was wondering when he would appear," Hiruzen grunted. "Jiraiya was right. Orochimaru was attempting to sway the others. We were lucky there weren't enough of his subordinates to hold us back for too long."

Strength in numbers could be formidable. Against the Hokage, they were more like minor nuisances, especially since his teammates were there to back him up.

"We should be moving, Hiruzen," Koharu said after warily glancing around for any tricks. "Naruto's chakra flare-up should attract quite a few Kusa-nin. It'll help Jiraiya and Asuma, I'm sure, but for us it'll only prove to be a hindrance."

"No time to talk, then," the Hokage stated, accepting Naruto's thanks with a nod. Karin, now free from the fear gripping her, gladly ran after the elder leader as he left the area with Naruto running closely behind.

**VvVvV**

(Near Takigakure no Sato)

"I still can't believe this," Karin said once again, squinting at the bright morning sun.

"Was it really that difficult to figure out?" Naruto gruffly replied. "I kinda look like the guy. He did seal the Kyuubi into me, too. How could he ask any other parent to sacrifice their kid if he wasn't wiling to do the same?"

Naruto swore he'd said that line at least twice before.

Karin scowled. "Yeah, but being related to the Yondaime Hokage? That's pretty prestigious. I wish you told me the last time we saw each other."

"I wish you told me you already knew about the Kyuubi," Naruto dryly responded.

"You kind of hinted at it back during the tournament," Karin said, giving Naruto a light punch on the arm. "Besides, I'm able to sense part of it anyway. It's not even difficult, to be honest. Your chakra is warm and the Kyuubi's chakra is just..."

"Suffocating? Oppressive? Boiling hot? Any of those words working for ya?"

"Boiling hot fits the best, with oppressive being a close a second," the redhead said after some thought. "Anyway, it's pretty neat to have a dad like the Yondaime Hokage. Your mom was beautiful, too."

Naruto smiled, reaching into his burnt orange shirt and retrieving a durable locket he had been wearing. Popping it open, a picture of Uzumaki Kushina revealed itself. His expression turned sad, and he said, "I wish I could've known her. All I have to remember my parents by are some stories and pictures."

"Wherever they are, I'm sure they're proud of you. I mean, look at what you're doing right now. Plus, it's not every day that you face down an S-rank missing-nin. How were you not afraid? I couldn't even move..." The redhead shuddered at the memory.

Orochimaru hadn't been spilling out Killing Intent and Karin had been unable to do anything anyway. His mere presence was enough to cow her into submission, unlike her defiant friend.

The blonde sighed. "I was still afraid. I just can't afford to show it. Thanks, by the way." Fright could lead to other emotions that weren't conducive at all to controlling the Kyuubi's chakra.

"Naruto, Karin!" the Hokage called. The two ninja turned to their superior. "Our escort is here."

For the third time in his life, Naruto went through the underwater passageways the led into the village of Taki. This time, they weren't taken on a route meant to confuse them. Rather, the Taki-nin simply took the five ninja through the tunnels, not bothering to hide their true location.

Much to Naruto's annoyance, he ended up being the slowest swimmer out of everyone. The Taki-nin, elders, and Karin were all quicker and more proficient at swimming than he was.

It wasn't like he wasn't used to having his pride wounded, though that didn't mean he enjoyed it. Perhaps using that bit of the Kyuubi's chakra from before would be a suitable excuse?

When he surfaced, Naruto saw Karin staring at the village in front of her in awe, with the elders merely speaking quietly amongst themselves. "Nice village, huh?" he said after taking a few breaths, startling the redheaded girl out of her reverie.

"Yeah," she breathed. "That tree is _huge_!"

"The Hokage monument is better, but yeah, that tree is huge," Naruto offhandedly said. Part of him was glad Karin wasn't dwelling on the encounter the two had had. It was better not to focus on what had happened.

"Come along, you two," the Hokage ordered. "The Tsuchikage is already waiting for us. It's making these villagers nervous and I would rather not try Onoki's patience."

"Got it, Hokage-sama," Naruto muttered. He and Karin went after the old Hokage, Karin taking in the sights with no small amount of interest. Several Taki-nin were observing the newcomers warily despite the fact that they were technically from an allied village.

The mixed group of ninja were led to the building that Naruto remembered held Shibuki's office within. Although the Hokage, his female teammate, and Karin were allowed entry, Homura and Naruto were taken elsewhere. "What's going on? Aren't we going to be sitting in at the meeting?"

Homura smiled lightly. "Not us, no. Hiruzen is quite all right on his own and I assume the leader of Amegakure no Sato wants one of his own ninja present for the negotiations, if only as an observer. You and I are going to meet some people, Naruto. The one from this village that you befriended has already met them and is at the proceedings with her village leader. They need to know about Orochimaru's motives, too."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, wondering who he was going to meet and when he'd be able to see his friend. "So, was it planned this way?" he queried.

"Somewhat," Homura admitted. "An alliance will fall apart before it can get settled if its components fight amongst each other. Iwa-nin and Konoha-nin have a history of disagreeing with each other, usually with violent results."

"You guys are making sure we can tolerate each other," Naruto said, comprehension dawning.

"Correct. The Tsuchikage has spoken well of his ninja, as we have of our own. We are also going to release your identity, mind you, so please be on your best behavior. Our greatest hero is their greatest villain."

"Um... are you sure that's safe? For me, I mean?"

Homura rolled his eyes upon noticing Naruto's apprehension. "I know you've had issues with acceptance in the past, but I highly doubt they will hold anything against you for simply being the Yondaime Hokage's son. Remember, the Tsuchikage has spoken well of his selected ninja."

The elder's words were helpful in assuaging some of Naruto's reservations, though a bit of his anxiety remained. His father had carried a fearsome reputation, one that persisted even after his death. No other ninja, except for perhaps Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, were as famous.

The Taki-nin in front of them stopped at a single-story wooden house. Knocking on the door, the ninja waited for a confirmation reply before allowing his two guests to enter.

Inside of the wooden house were two people seated at a sturdy-looking, round table, with a few Taki-nin stationed at the walls. A large man with heavy armor and a hat that covered his eyes caught Naruto's attention first because he was utterly _gigantic_.

The man was nearly as tall as Naruto was and he was sitting down, for crying out loud!

Rubbing his forehead to ease the light throbbing that had suddenly afflicted him, Naruto glanced at the other ninja. A kunoichi with short, dark hair, pink eyes, and an Iwagakure forehead protector had glanced up at the newcomers in curiosity. She eyed Naruto for a moment before snorting disdainfully.

Homura cleared his throat. "You shouldn't actively appear to be rude, Naruto," he dryly chided, noting Naruto's silence. "Allow me to introduce you to Kurotsuchi, the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, and Han, who I believe is a relative of his. This boy here is known as Uzumaki Naruto-"

Kurotsuchi tilted her head as she peered at Naruto while Han made no indication that he had heard the introduction. In fact, he remained completely immobile and quiet, appearing as if he was asleep.

"-and he is the child of the Yondaime Hokage," the elder finished, eying the Iwa-nin carefully.

Han didn't make a response to the introduction, opting to continue acting like a statue. However, Kurotsuchi's eyebrows shot up into her hairline, and she narrowed her gaze at the blonde who had been introduced to her.

"Is this true, or are you pulling my leg?" the dark-haired girl asked. "Because if you aren't lying, then I wanna fight you."

Han stirred and Naruto's head throbbed. Ignoring the minor headache, Naruto answered, "Yeah, it's true. Don't I look like him? And no offense, but I don't want to cause any trouble."

"Why? Are you scared? A child of the _great_ Yondaime Hokage, afraid to fight a little Iwa kunoichi like me?" she taunted.

Naruto scowled before sarcastically replying, "I suppose I should feel honored that the granddaughter of the _great_ Sandaime Tsuchikage is speaking to a lowly orphan like me."

"Yeah, you should," the Iwa kunoichi shot back, "especially if you're too scared to fight me. What, you don't want to hit a girl or something? Afraid you'll break me? Well, I got news for ya, shorty. I can break every bone in your body without even breaking a sweat."

"What did you just call me?" Naruto said, his eyebrow twitching violently.

Kurotsuchi grinned. "I called you a shorty, shorty. I don't care who you are, if I'm going to be working with Konoha ninja I at least want them to be worth a damn and you definitely don't look like you're worth a damn in the battlefield. You'd think the Yondaime Hokage's progeny- if that's even true- would be taller..."

"Enough." Han's baritone voice surprised the two teens enough to stop their bickering. "Kurotsuchi, we are here to make a positive impact, not to fulfill your fighting quota. Your grandfather would not be pleased to know who you are attempting to goad into a fight."

The titanic man rose from his seat and walked over to Naruto, each of his steps making a dull thumping noise on the wooden floor. He offered Naruto a hand and said, "It is nice to meet you, Uzumaki Naruto. Please excuse Kurotsuchi's attitude; fighting is the hobby she enjoys the most."

Naruto accepted the proffered hand and shook firmly, feeling an odd detachment as he did so. The detachment was familiar, though Naruto couldn't quite recall why.

"There's nothing wrong with fighting, Han," Kurotsuchi grumbled.

"Why didn't you just say so? I'll take you on. I need some stress relief, anyway," Naruto replied with a shrug.

"I'm not sure that would be wise," Han doubtfully remarked. "We were meant to get along without harming each other in the process."

"They don't seem to have an irrational dislike for each other," Homura interjected. Humming in thought, he added, "Many people do believe that fighting can be the first step towards understanding."

"Yeah!" Kurotsuchi agreed, smacking her fist into an open hand. "You learn a lot about people just from the way they fight. Plus, you gotta take whatever improvement you can get since those dumb Oto-nin won't stop coming!"

"I..." Han paused, staring at nothing in particular. "Very well. The Tsuchikage may not be pleased when he sees this, but I do not have any jurisdiction over Kurotsuchi's actions within this village."

**VvVvV**

There was an unused training field a certain distance away from the lodge where Kurotsuchi and Han had been stationed. Most of it was soft soil, with a small pond nearby. Several Taki-nin had voiced their disapproval at Kurotsuchi's actions.

In the end, they acquiesced if only to see for themselves what techniques Kurotsuchi could use. Many Taki-nin remained close by just in case the spar got out of hand.

No one wanted to incur the wrath of the Hokage, nor that of the Tsuchikage.

"This should be interesting," Homura mused as he adjusted his glasses. Han, standing at his right, said nothing.

Their fight began with Naruto throwing a few shuriken, deciding to scope out Kurotsuchi's reflexes and her set of skills. The Iwa-nin ran straight at the spinning metal stars, whipping out a kunai to knock the few that came too close for comfort off-course.

"You're going to directly run at me?" Naruto blankly asked. Shrugging to himself, he clapped his hands together and exhaled forcefully, releasing a powerful wind current that kicked up dirt and dust. The Great Breakthrough shrouded his opponent from view.

When the dust settled, Kurotsuchi was no longer in sight. Naruto would've known if he had blown her away, so he assumed she was hiding somewhere.

The ground below his feet cracked as two hands shot up, reaching for Naruto's ankles. The blonde skipped backward, avoiding the technique Kakashi had once used on him back when he had first become a genin.

Skidding to stop, Naruto initiated a technique that would force Kurotsuchi out of the ground when _another_ pair of hands appeared right below his feet. This time, he was caught unawares and dragged underground. Only his head remained above the soil.

Kurotsuchi jumped out of her hiding spot, snickering at the Uzumaki in front of her. "You're more bark than you are bite, eh?" she quipped, crouching down to give her opponent a patronizing smirk.

"A sensei of mine loves to use this technique. In fact, he used it pretty damn often when I used to spar against him. You really think I don't have a counter to this?" Naruto deadpanned. Then again, how was Kurotsuchi supposed to know that bit of information?

"Is that so?" she replied. "I guess I-"

The Iwa kunoichi never managed to finish her sentence, for glowing chains of chakra burst out of the ground. Operating solely on instinct, Kurotsuchi managed to avoid the two chains that writhed in the air before seeking a new target.

Naruto wasn't solely aiming for his opponent. A large stone that had gone largely unnoticed was pierced by the pointed end of one of his chains and, with a puff of smoke, was swapped out for the underground Naruto.

"What?" Kurotsuchi squawked. "How'd you do that? You can't just substitute yourself when you're held tight like that!"

Choosing not to answer, Naruto again clapped his hands together before thrusting them out, palm first. Powerful wind streams shot out of both palms and Kurotsuchi was forced to raise a wall of earth to defend against the Uzumaki's hard-hitting technique.

Kurotsuchi grit her teeth as the wall of earth she had raised shook violently at Naruto's onslaught. With another string of hand-seals, the Iwa-nin cried, "Doton: Rock Bullet Technique!" She sent her stone wall tumbling down, turning it into a series of small, sharp rocks that were sent flying through the wind.

Using the stones as a distraction, Kurotsuchi quickly created a clone made of mud before circling around and attempting to pincer Naruto in. The blonde, who had cut off his technique and was jumping away from the Iwa-nin's own attack, was suitably distracted for Kurotsuchi to get the drop on him.

"Gotcha!" she cried, reaching out to grab Naruto. He managed to grab her wrist before she could hold him down and punched her stomach. Kurotsuchi's skin darkened and she turned to mud around his limb, successfully restraining the blonde's range of motion.

The real Kurotsuchi put a kunai on Naruto's neck as he landed. "That's the finish right there. Nice power, but I'm just better overall. I guess Iwa wins this time, eh?" she goaded.

Han rolled his eyes and shook his head, having heard the words of the Tsuchikage's granddaughter.

"Naruto is still as much as a trickster as he was when he was younger," Homura noted, smiling slightly to himself.

"Eh?" Kurotsuchi repeated, blinking dumbly. All of a sudden, she found herself wrapped in glowing, blue chains, with the Naruto she had caught having exploded into thick, billowing smoke. Her arms were held rigidly to her sides and her legs were bound as well.

Since she was lying face-down on the ground, she had to struggle and crane her neck up when she heard Naruto chuckling to himself. Around his wrists were the chains he had captured the girl with. "Nothing like a few good ol' shadow clones," the blonde commented.

"What the hell? When did you create a clone?" Kurotsuchi disbelievingly asked. She wriggled a bit before continuing, "How are you even keeping me in these? These are... pure chakra? Pure chakra doesn't act like this!"

"I always have a few clones handy," Naruto informed, crouching down to the kunoichi's level. "Right before you launched your counterattack, I managed to swap out with one of the clones I had created when you were distracted. There's nothing like the fundamentals, ya know. Nice fight."

"And I believe that's the end of this match," a newcomer said, slowly clapping at the outcome of the fight between the two teenagers.

Kurotsuchi turned her head towards the newcomer as the chains restraining her vanished. Her eyes widened when she realized who had been watching. Groaning loudly and ignoring the hand Naruto was offering her, she said, "Were you watching that entire fight, Gramps?"

"Only the final part and I must admit, I've never seen anyone create restraints that thick out of chakra," the Tsuchikage remarked. "I think this will work better than expected. Both of you fought valiantly and without anger or vengeance on your mind."

"He got lucky, that's all," Kurotsuchi grumbled, folding her arms over her chest and looking away.

With a small amount of caution, Naruto approached the Tsuchikage and his pouting granddaughter. The Hokage was standing next to his diminutive counterpart, approval clearly present in his wizened features. "Naruto," the old man began, "please say hello to Onoki. Like me, he has his fair share of titles, but he is best known as the Sandaime Tsuchikage of Iwagakure no Sato."

Naruto bowed, though he never took his eyes off of the small elder. "It's a pleasure, Tsuchikage-sama," the blonde said.

Onoki hummed for a moment. Then, he floated over to the young blonde and circled around him. "Yes, yes, I can see the similarities. You're not quite as tall as he was and your facial structure is different." The Tsuchikage grinned at Naruto. "I take great care to recognize my enemies, you brat. All decent shinobi do."

"So, he knows?" Homura asked, walking over to the group.

"'Course I know," the Tsuchikage retorted. "Everything went better than expected, and we're going to start pushing very soon. That damned student of Hiruzen's won't know what hit him."

"Hey, Hokage-jiji, where's Karin and the old lady?" Naruto bluntly asked. Onoki snorted at Naruto's demeanor.

"Shibuki and his bodyguard took Karin and Koharu to their temporary lodgings. Karin likely will be sending a summon to her leader to let him know about the proceedings," Hiruzen informed.

"By the way," Onoki interrupted, "one of the stipulations regarding our alliance was that you speak with Han. I believe that girl... what was her name?"

"Fuu," the Hokage said.

"Right, Fuu. I believe she will be accompanying you as well."

Naruto peered intently at the Tsuchikage, who lazily returned his gaze, as if he wasn't a threat at all- which was probably true. Then, he glanced back at Han, who had remained unmoving and was staring back at the mixed group of ninja.

"He's a jinchuriki, isn't he?"

"How'd you figure that one out?" Kurotsuchi asked, her tone curious.

"Takes one to know one, I guess," Naruto replied after a moment's thought. _That_ was why his head had momentarily throbbed when he had first laid eyes upon Han. It was also why he had felt that detachment when physical contact had been made.

He'd have to ask the Kyuubi about those phenomena the next time they had a chat. The blonde didn't exactly want to pull his fellow jinchuriki into the part of his mind that represented his seal.

Kurotsuchi was visibly surprised at that admission. "You're a Tailed Beast container?"

"Yes, he is. The beast was sealed into him in order to prevent Konoha's destruction," Hiruzen explained. "Han-san is more in tune with his own Biju and wishes to speak with Naruto. He has already been introduced to Fuu, I believe.

"This chat of yours should take place before he we leave. I think a few things should be hammered out as well," Onoki said.

Naruto nodded, turning to glance at Han one more time. The giant still hadn't moved, standing in the sunlight with his heavy armor. The Uzumaki wondered if what Han was wearing was in any way uncomfortable.

Hopefully he'd be a bit more talkative when they were all in a private, secluded room.

* * *

><p><strong>Didn't go on a hiatus, was just trying to find a good way to write this. Back to Naruto for now, and sorry if this particular chapter drags on and on. I needed to flesh out Kurotsuchi somewhat, and I wanted to have Orochimaru appear.<strong>

**And I _hate_ writing Bee. I like the guy, but he's difficult to write with all the rhymes and stuff.**

**Questions, comments, concerns, suggestions? Let me know if there are any errors I missed.**


	34. Realm

Chapter Thirty-four: Realm

The door granting access to the small house was thrown open, hitting the wooden wall with a loud bang and causing Naruto to wince. Han bore it with his usual stoicism, even as he heard a happy squeal that most definitely should not have come from a jinchuriki.

Then again, she had seemed happy enough when he had first been introduced to her. Han hadn't detected anything malicious from the villagers either. In fact, they generally looked like they were fond of her. Not even the ninja were cautious around her.

"Whiskers!" Fuu cried, enveloping her blonde friend in a crushing hug- literally. When she released him, Naruto coughed a bit before returning the green-haired girl's grin.

"Do you two know each other?" Han asked before Naruto could respond.

"Yeah, we do," Naruto replied. "I met her when my genin team came here on a delivery mission two years back."

When Han inquired further, Naruto elaborated on the mission, with Fuu occasionally piping in certain details. Based on the way they acted around each other, and the smiles they were wearing, it was easy to tell that they were close friends.

Han found that odd. Even if Naruto was the one to reach out to her, to befriend her, and to help her village change their ways...

It just seemed unlikely. Two jinchuriki from two different villages happening to meet each other and forge a lasting friendship wasn't something Han thought he'd be confronted with. Had they been from the same village, such a thing would've been infinitely more likely.

Naruto had surprised him. He guessed the two jinchuriki were intent on maintaining the relationship despite their differences. Or, perhaps, Naruto had made that much of an impact on her. Certainly a jinchuriki such as he would act differently?

"That is... interesting," Han admitted after hearing the entire story. "You two have told me that Fuu's village sees her in a positive light as of now. What about yourself, Naruto, and Konohagakure no Sato?"

Surprised at Han being able to speak in complete sentences, Naruto said, "They're coming around, I think. They all see me as a ninja who's protecting the village rather than a jinchuriki now, at least. I know a bunch of ninja who respect me for my abilities, too."

"Good," Han succinctly said. "It is prudent for a jinchuriki to be free from stress and emotional turmoil. Controlling the power we hold within is several grades easier if you are. However, I'm sure both of you already have ways to mediate your thoughts. It's not what I'm here for, either."

"So... what are we doing?" Fuu hesitantly questioned.

"We are going to speak with your Biju," Han simply informed.

The younger jinchuriki were silent at that. Naruto really didn't have an issue with it since he regularly spoke with the beast inside of him, but he wasn't sure if Fuu did the same. The Uzumaki couldn't quite remember if Fuu had said anything regarding the Nanabi's demeanor.

"All three of them, together?" Naruto finally asked. "How are we supposed to do that? I mean, I can kinda-sorta bring people to where the Kyuubi is if they're jinchuriki."

"What?" Han stared sharply at Naruto.

Feeling nervous, the blonde rubbed the back of his head and explained himself. "If I'm drawing on the Kyuubi's chakra and touching another jinchuriki, I can take them into my mind, or whatever it is. Fuu said it was a mindscape when I did it to her, so I just went with that."

_How curious._ "That shouldn't be possible," Han murmured. "Skin-to-skin contact is required, yes, though it must be done through fists." The giant held out his right arm, curling his fingers into a fist. "Mimic this form and tap my fingers with yours," he ordered.

Naruto did so and jerked his arm back when he felt a sudden sense of vertigo. "This disconnection... it's..." The Kyuubi jinchuriki narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, this happened to Fuu and I when we were defending her village."

"When she helped you during the battle with those jounin, yes?" Han queried. At Naruto's nod, he added, "I thought so. Ordinarily, both the Biju and the host must be willing to initiate a link, and there is another step to undergo. You seem to ignore it all."

"Is that bad?" Fuu chimed.

The giant shook his head. "No necessarily. It likely has to do with the Kyuubi itself or the seal you're using, Naruto. In any case, we'll hopefully know by the end of today. Do you experience anything similar, Fuu?"

"No, I don't think I do."

Han hummed in thought. "What about your relationship with your Biju?"

"I've been talking with the Kyuubi fairly often," Naruto stated. "Konoha needed me to learn how to control its power, so I ended up on speaking terms with it. The fox isn't as bad as I thought it was."

"Really?" Fuu questioned. "Last time we were there, it didn't act all that nice. I didn't think it'd warm up to you."

Naruto shrugged. The Kyuubi had changed the way it acted due in part to Naruto's behavior towards jinchuriki and humanized- or otherwise- weapons. There was still a lot of information the Kyuubi was unwilling to relinquish and it instead opted to settle for simple conversation, which suited Naruto just fine.

"What about you, Fuu? You never really told me how the Nanabi acts. I've seen you use its chakra, though. Flying... that's still awesome," the blonde exclaimed.

The green-haired kunoichi stared at nothing in particular, silently contemplating the beast within. It granted her formidable abilities, if only for an ulterior purpose. "The Nanabi hates me," Fuu admitted. "It's hated this village ever since it was sealed. I'm pretty sure it lends its chakra to me in the hopes of eventually breaking free."

"What we're going to do might be a bit more necessary for you," Han remarked as Naruto put a consoling hand on Fuu's shoulder. "Especially so for a jinchuriki such as yourself, unfortunately."

"What do you mean?" the kunoichi asked with a tilt of her head.

"The ninja villages all have a way of covering their mistakes, with varying degrees of success. Infiltration missions have traditionally been common. As time passed, security improved, and the odds of these missions eventually became too low to warrant gratuitous assignment," Han said. "My home village, in a past war with Suna, managed to obtain information regarding their first jinchuriki."

"What's so important about their first jinchuriki?" Naruto questioned.

"Suna's seals are infamous for being intentionally weak. It allows their jinchuriki easier access to greater amounts of the Ichibi's- who is their captive Biju- chakra. However, a flip-side to this is that the seal may shatter under pressure. Such a thing happened when their first jinchuriki was expecting.

"Both mother and child were immediately killed in the aftermath, unfortunately," Han said, answering the unspoken question. "Examination of the mother's corpse revealed that the seal had weakened to the point of ineffectiveness and further inspection made it clear that no matter how powerful a seal holding a Biju back is, there is a way to destroy it without conscious action from the jinchuriki."

Naruto scowled, annoyed at the fact that a mother and her unborn child were killed by matters beyond their control. "Did someone sabotage the seal without that woman's knowledge?"

"Remember when I said this issue is mostly directed to Fuu? When a female jinchuriki is pregnant, chakra is diverted from sustaining their seal to the growing child. During this time, if a Biju so wishes and the seal is adequately loosened, the beast can force itself out," Han finished.

"I guess that means I can't have children, huh? The Nanabi might go nuts and take advantage if I do," Fuu quipped, not sounding distraught about her situation at all.

"There are likely ways to prevent it from happening. If a seal master was present to reinforce your seal, that would theoretically enable you to safely give birth," Han replied.

Fuu shrugged. "Taki doesn't really have any seal masters. The Nanabi was imprisoned into my body through luck." A pause, and then, "I'm not really looking to be a mom, anyway."

Han didn't have a response for that. A person's choices were their own and he himself didn't want to father a child. The armored giant doubted he'd be anything even remotely resembling a father figure, the recluse that he was. Turning to the final jinchuriki in the room, Han found the blonde's eyes screwed shut, an expression of irritation on his face.

"...Whiskers?" Fuu prompted.

Letting out a sigh, Naruto opened his eyes and glared at nothing in particular. "Sorry, you two. I was just yelling at the Kyuubi for being a selfish bastard." He laughed. "Funny how ten minutes ago I said we were kinda getting along."

"We might as well ask it why," Han murmured, reaching out with his clenched hands. "Bump my fists, please."

"I'm not in the mood to talk with the stupid fox anymore," Naruto grumbled, deciding to acquiesce with the Gobi jinchuriki's request anyway.

All three Tailed Beast hosts felt a shift of perception and then a feeling of detachment, followed by the world around them fading to black.

**VvVvV**

(A Shared Mind)

Standing in a small area of faded blue, Han patiently waited for Naruto and Fuu to get their bearings. They were lying on a floor of sorts, groaning as they sat up and looked around. Beyond the circle of blue were flickering shadows, stubbornly clinging to their surroundings.

If one were to look down, they wouldn't have been able to discern whether or not they were on any solid surface. Han was used to such a perception, whereas his juniors were not. He would give them a few minutes to gather their wits before speaking.

Once the two had gotten to their feet, Han cleared his throat. The two were swaying somewhat, but he plowed on anyway. "Right now, we are all sharing one consciousness," he informed.

"It's... different than what happened to Fuu and I," Naruto murmured. He scuffed his feet on the floor below him. Nope, no sewer water at all.

He felt relieved that the contents of his mind weren't being questioned for once.

"An actual representation of the seal holding your Biju back is not necessary here, as the Biju themselves have yet to appear. Once they do visit, a variation of your respective seals will manifest around them," Han said.

"What if that seal is a giant cage? I don't see how the Kyuubi can drag around something like that," Fuu mused.

Han rolled his eyes. "Pay attention, you two," he ordered. Whirling around, Han raised one arm, causing the murky darkness in front of him to slowly recede. Eventually, it faded completely.

What was left caused both Naruto and Fuu to flinch in shock and awe- and, maybe, a little bit of fright.

Right in front of them, breathing shallowly, was the massive head of the Gobi, its eyes crossing as it focused on its container.

"Allow me to introduce you two to the Tailed Beast I share my life with, the Gobi no Irukauma," Han presented, still staring up at the beast's large head. The rest of its body was obscured by the blackness that Han hadn't banished.

Naruto and Fuu were too surprised to speak. The giant dolphin-like head of the Gobi snorted loudly and reared back, causing its sleek, pale body to emerge from the remaining shroud. Five whip-like tails hung low, and the Biju settled down with a low groan. Han took the opportunity to sit right next to the beast's jaw, his posture relaxed and content.

"Well, humans? Are you not going to introduce yourselves properly?" The Gobi didn't need to open its maw to speak and its deep yet regal voice echoed throughout the mindscape. Unlike the Kyuubi, whose guttural rumbles could be intimidating, the Gobi's words came off as calm and respectful.

Blinking rapidly, Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat and pointed a finger to his chest. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto from Konohagakure no Sato. I'm also the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi," he said.

"Ah, you are the offspring of the infamous Yondaime Hokage. It is a pleasure to meet you," the Gobi stated. "What about you, girl? Who are you?"

Fuu seemed to withdraw into herself and said, in a low tone, "I'm Fuu. I'm the jinchuriki of the Nanabi."

"There is no need to be afraid, Fuu," the beast rumbled. "I cannot harm you in this place, nor would I if I could. I am, however, aware of how my size may startle you. I apologize for this."

"Uh, that's fine... I think," Naruto replied with no small amount of uncertainty.

"Good," the large creature said. "Speaking amongst each other like this was not what Han was explicitly ordered to do. Instead, I requested an audience."

"What? Why?" Fuu blurted, her curiosity overriding her current timidity. It wasn't every day that a Biju of all things wanted to have a small chat with you, especially if that Biju wasn't your own.

"We've felt a presence similar to that of a Biju, one that is still sealed in a different host," Han answered in place of his partner. "That presence is radiating off of you, Naruto."

At Naruto's bewilderment, the Gobi added, "You wouldn't have been able to feel that minuscule amount of chakra unless you were familiar enough with a Tailed Beast's chakra like Han is, and he's only obtained this familiarity through decades of training. Kyuubi, why don't you explain yourself?"

There was a tugging sensation where Naruto's seal was located, and in a manner resembling the Gobi's entrance, the obscuring fog behind the blonde was pulled away. The fox's jinchuriki turned around, giving his inner beast a frown that conveyed his annoyance perfectly.

"Don't give me that look, brat," the Kyuubi grumbled, not quite meeting anyone's eyes. All nine of the fox's tails had stylized torii restraining them, stopping the beast from making any hostile movements- not that it would.

Han shifted his body. "Perhaps the Nanabi would like to hear this as well?"

"I really don't think that's a good idea," Fuu interrupted.

"It cannot attack, and I think it would be wise for it to listen. Do you agree, Kyuubi?"

"First that wretched turtle won't leave me be, and now this. Fine," the Kyuubi growled, "bring the insect here."

Despite Fuu's objections, the Nanabi was quickly brought forth. Rather than its entire body appearing, however, all the jinchuriki saw was part of its blue visor, with a sinister, dark orange glow behind it. It was as if the Biju was peering through the window of a jail cell.

For a few moments, the oppressive feeling of a Biju's chakra flooded the dimly lit realm until, with an expression of concentration, Fuu reeled it in. She exhaled deeply and straightened her body when Naruto went to help her.

"Annoying mosquito," the Kyuubi rumbled, snorting slightly at the low, somehow indignant buzz the Nanabi was emitting.

"Must you always act this way? There is no need to be petty," the Gobi chided.

"Shut it, you bossy foal," the Kyuubi retorted. When Naruto and Fuu snickered, it turned its impressive gaze to them, immediately causing the two jinchuriki to clam their mouths shut. "Since the bug is giving us the silent treatment, I'm just going to begin."

"Don't ignore us, Nanabi," the Gobi warned.

"Anyway," the Kyuubi drawled, "you brats are probably wondering why I mentioned a turtle, right?" At their nods, it continued, "When we were in Kirigakure no Sato for those useless exams, the Yondaime Mizukage spoke with Naruto. His curiosity was largely due to Nagato. Otherwise, he may have just observed him like he did with the green-haired brat.

"Both Yagura and the Sanbi saw that Naruto and Fuu were acquaintances, which, as I've heard about a million times, was and is pretty much unprecedented. Naruto, your actions spurred Yagura onward in finding you, and while you two were speaking, the Sanbi made contact with me."

"What." Naruto squinted in confusion. "I thought physical touch needed to be made before Biju could speak with each other. Yagura and I didn't do anything like this," the Uzumaki said, waving his hand to indicate the expanse around him.

Loud buzzing emanated from the Nanabi's visor. "Oh? Do you wish to speak?" the Gobi queried, its eyes shifting to stare at its fellow Tailed Beast.

The buzzing echoed throughout the realm, slowly rising in intensity until it was clear that the Biju was becoming agitated. None of the jinchuriki could understand what it was saying, yet its brethren seemed to have an idea of what its words were.

"...I see," the Gobi said, eliciting a warbling from the Nanabi's visor. "Well then, I'm sorry. There is nothing conducive in your words. Acting like a human child won't help, either."

"Biju can communicate telepathically with each other if we wish to do so. Unfortunately, this can be more annoying than helpful in most cases," the Kyuubi dryly remarked.

Fuu hid a smirk at the Kyuubi's words towards the apparently petulant Biju sealed within her body. It sure made the thing out to be a bit more approachable, which contrasted sharply with how she saw it.

"All Biju are connected," the Gobi proceeded in place of the fox. "Have you two heard of the Ancient Sage? The one who walked six paths, the savior of humankind?"

"They probably have heard parts of it. His tale survives now only as a legend and a story," Han surmised.

The Gobi's eyes became half-lidded, and it began to speak. "Ages ago, when humans were still roaming the lands, there was a being similar to the Biju. It split continents, raised mountains, and created seas as it tore the earth asunder. In doing so, it spewed its potent energy throughout the world. This being was originally known as the Juubi."

"Looks like there's something stronger than you, Kyuubi."

"Do not test me, mongrel."

"May I continue?" the Gobi politely commented. "The Juubi obviously does not roam the lands anymore, else life would cease to exist. The beast met its downfall at the hands of a man who understood how to use chakra against it. This human would later become known in history as the Sage of the Six Paths."

Naruto tilted his head. "So, what, this sage guy used chakra against the Juubi? Just how powerful was he to take down a Tailed Beast stronger than old fuzzy over there?"

The fox didn't make a response this time, instead choosing to roll its eyes at Naruto's antics.

"He was the one who understood the true nature of chakra, and the one who taught humans how to use it. Obviously, having such a mastery of the energy that the Juubi was comprised of gave him a large advantage during battle. However, as powerful as the sage was, he could not defeat a regenerating creature. He sealed the Juubi inside of him, thus becoming the world's first jinchuriki.

"Unfortunately, as I'm sure you two know, a seal, no matter how powerful or intricate, would not be enough to keep the Juubi's power permanently locked away," the Gobi said. "In order to prevent it from continuing its campaign of destruction upon the Sage's death, we were created.

"The Sage of the Six Paths used his mastery over chakra to split the Juubi into the nine Biju. The Juubi was our progenitor and, in a way, the Ancient Sage our father, for he was the one who gave us life and brought us forth into existence."

Naruto snapped his fingers. "You guys are able to use that tele-thing to speak with each other because you were once one single being, right? I'm betting you're all still somehow connected. You're all made up of chakra, too."

"That makes sense..." Fuu paused and made a face. "I think. This is really a lot to take in. Why did you mention the Sage of the Six Paths?"

"I don't think spinning something like this was necessary to answer a question," Naruto added.

"Naruto," the Kyuubi rumbled, "when the Sanbi and I spoke, it convinced me to drop my hostility. We Biju can all sense chakra like one of your dogs can smell meat. I can still remember that bastard Uchiha Madara's chakra and the last time I saw him was decades ago!

"Your chakra, Naruto... it's different. It's reassuring and warm, startlingly so. For some reason, it resembles the chakra of the one who created us. Your actions so far and the feel of your chakra helped that blasted turtle change my mind. It's exceptionally rare for someone to speak with a Biju on equal terms, without barging in and primarily demanding chakra."

Naruto gaped. He couldn't help it; it wasn't every day that you were compared to the man who had been able to stop the strongest Tailed Beast to have ever existed- if he were to believe what he was being told, of course.

"You..." The Uzumaki took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "There's no way what you're saying is true, Kyuubi. You've got to be joking. What about Yagura? I'm pretty sure he speaks to the Sanbi like I speak with you!"

"He has not extended his hand in friendship to others like you. The Sanbi made it clear that, while its jinchuriki is stuck with his duties, you are not. You have more freedom to travel and change the way others think," the fox replied.

The blonde was silent, and then said, "How about Utakata, then? Even if what he's doing is despicable, he was kinda trying to help me. If I hadn't already made so much progress in Konoha, I might've listened to him."

"That's right," Fuu murmured, "I heard rumors about a rogue jinchuriki allying with those Oto-nin. I may not know much about him, but I know he's been causing a lot of damage. That's not like how you were going about things, Naruto."

"At least _someone _is paying attention. Listen to the girl, you fool. You and Utakata are different," the Kyuubi growled. "You were never an aggressor, only a defender. Your aims are to use my chakra like a shield rather than a spear. Furthermore, I could not make contact with the Rokubi. That boy is suppressing it somehow."

"Certain Oto-nin have come equipped with the troubling ability to cut our jinchuriki away from our chakra without the use of a seal," the Gobi mused. "Han and I have encountered two. They weren't too difficult to overcome, but Naruto and Fuu might have issues."

"We will have to watch ourselves," the fox reluctantly agreed. "I don't plan on reconstituting anytime soon."

Warbling echoed from within the Nanabi's visor, followed by a series of halting buzzes and clicks. Then, the small window that allowed the group to see only the insect's face widened, causing a gray, translucent orb that surrounded the Biju's body from the neck down to appear.

"Have you finally decided to allow me in?" the Nanabi sarcastically asked, its voice having a feminine lilt to it.

"Are you willing to behave?" the Gobi retorted.

With a low, muffled click, the Nanabi said, "This entire confrontation has been a farce. Do you really believe this _child_ can do anything at all? He is simply that: a child. The world will not revolve around one boy's words, no matter how earnest they are. And as for suppressing our power? Ha! I see your sense of humor has not diminished with time!"

"Your arrogance helps no one," the Kyuubi rumbled with a sneer, "and you are only escalating their threat level if you choose to continue with your nonchalance."

"Acting as such will not give you the freedom you crave," the Gobi agreed. "Han and I have been synchronized for years now and that is the greatest degree of freedom I've had ever since I was sealed. The ability to roam free and to experience the world through him accentuates the friendship we share."

Han bowed his head at the Gobi's words, feeling humbled at the beast's admission.

"What are you babbling about, you buffoon?" the Nanabi hissed. "I will never submit to a human, nor will I lower myself to their level." This was said with what could be assumed as a hostile glance at Fuu.

"The Nanabi sounds a lot like you were, Kyuubi," Naruto deadpanned. Turning to Fuu, he asked, "Maybe you should talk to it every now and then? If old fuzzy ended up coming around, maybe the bug could too. As I'm sure we all know, loneliness sucks, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't discriminate, either.

"How about it, Nanabi?" Naruto called out to the giant insect-like creature. "How about you give us a chance? It's not like you have anything better to do. Maybe someone will eventually be able to give you your freedom without you being harassed by ninja who want to seal you into a baby."

Small trickles of oppressive chakra were felt from the Nanabi, though Fuu was doing an admirable job of keeping it in check. "Are you mocking me?" the Nanabi challenged.

"He is not," the Gobi quickly interrupted. "Surely you would put your faith in someone who believes in changing the way people think? Emulating his actions would be prudent if we are to make the nations see us as more than simple beasts. Han himself has built stronger connections upon his return to Iwa."

"As has the Yonbi's jinchuriki," the armored host added.

"You're all putting a lot of stock in me," Naruto bashfully murmured. The Kyuubi chose that moment to exhale forcefully, sending a blast of hot air at its container's back, causing him to fall over. "What the hell was that for, you dumb fox?!" the blonde exclaimed.

"Since when have you backed down from a challenge, or a goal?" the fox grunted.

"I never said I'd back down," Naruto defended with a grin. "I'm not about to give up on something like this. Yeah, it's a lot of pressure, but honestly, if I- if _we_- manage to change everyone's views, think about how awesome it'll end up being. In a way, this helps bring the villages closer to peace since Tailed Beasts and jinchuriki won't be forced to act as tools of war."

"And we have to perpetuate that," Fuu commented. "After all, we can't go around contradicting you, right Whiskers? No need to further the stereotype."

"That is not how I would put it, but it is true enough," the Gobi said. "Well, Nanabi? As a measure of good faith to both Naruto and Fuu, and maybe as a means to convince you, allow me to first and foremost apologize."

"Eh?"

"For what?" Fuu asked.

"_Gobi_ is an androgynous name and title that was given to me by humans. At my request, Han refrained from using my name. My true name and title is Kokuou, the Mountain's Emperor, bestowed upon me by our creator."

"You would stoop that low!?" the Nanabi cried out in outrage.

"A king should not deign to remain aloof. Humility is the price we must all pay, and I welcome it," Kokuou declared.

Naruto groaned. "Great, now I feel like an ass. Why didn't you mention this before?"

The Kyuubi shook its head amusedly. "Don't worry about that, brat. I've held some things back that cannot be shared just yet, like why certain happenings apply to only you and not the other jinchuriki."

"_I_ will not budge in this matter. Just because you two have thrown your pride away does not mean that I have to follow your inane decisions," the rhinoceros beetle insisted.

Kokuou let out a long-suffering sigh and closed its eyes. "This is as far as this discussion will go, I believe. I will respect your privacy, Nanabi, but know that without synchronization, your chance at freedom is severely curtailed."

The Nanabi let out an actual grunt rather the buzzes and clicks it seemed to favor, and fell silent. The orb that represented its sealed state began to disintegrate and vanish along with its actual body, and its glowing visor was all that was left.

"You said that earlier," Fuu mentioned. When the Gobi opened its eyes and gave Fuu a glance, she continued, "Synchronization, I mean. You said it earlier and didn't really elaborate on it. What does it mean?"

"It is similar to what Yagura and the Sanbi experience, yes?" the large fox queried.

"If you took notice of Kokuou's body, then you would notice that a seal is not present. Years ago, I did away with it, and if what Kyuubi-san is saying is correct, then Yagura may have done the same," Han explained.

"What a minute," Naruto interjected, "how is Kokuou still inside of you if he isn't sealed? Couldn't he just... break out?"

The Gobi chortled at Naruto's pronoun usage. Each Biju, being a beast comprised entirely of chakra, wasn't equipped with anything notable, so to speak. Still, Kokuou knew that such identifiers would make conversation more approachable since an actual name was being used rather than a title.

"I stay with Han out of my own volition. Would you kill a close friend? Certainly not, yes? Han gives me protection from those who would use my power for their own gains, whereas I supply him with the means to defend ourselves should a poor situation arise," Kokuou said.

Fuu frowned. "Is that what Naruto and I are supposed to aim for? I don't think I'll be able to achieve something like that with how the Nanabi acts around me and others in general."

"This is the final level of a jinchuriki's power, where all of a Biju's considerable power is at the host's command. It also grants other benefits, such as the ability of a Tailed Beast to release a jinchuriki from a genjutsu. This essentially renders illusions obsolete against them," Kokuou continued.

"That's pretty cool," Naruto acknowledged, a grin on his face and his eyes wide. Another way to break free of genjutsu was always useful; it meant that there would be less ways to get stuck in a bad situation.

Plus, Naruto absolutely _hated_ genjutsu. Sure, he could break out of them when he needed to, but they just sucked in his opinion.

"Don't think I'm just going to give you my power, brat," the fox warned.

"Indeed. There is much to go through before you can wield such power against our enemies. In fact, I should start you two on a higher step. Fuu, if we are lucky, you may be able to earn the Nanabi's respect. If not, well, you obtain a considerable amount of control over yourself, which is nonetheless useful in many future endeavors," Han stated.

Kokuou rose to his full height and bowed his head. "It was a pleasure speaking to you two, and to you as well, Kyuubi. I wish you a pleasant farewell."

Naruto, Fuu and even the Kyuubi- though it was a bit more snide and refrained from moving- reciprocated the gracious valediction and watched as Kokuou vanished from view. Han faded soon after, followed by Naruto, Fuu, and the fox.

The Nanabi's floating visor remained where it was for a few seconds, the orange glow illuminating the encroaching shadows. Then it, too, exited the shared realm and retreated back to the seal that imprisoned it.

**VvVvV**

"Well, that was pretty fun," Naruto sarcastically remarked, rubbing his head. "Are headaches supposed to happen, or is this another exception?"

"Another exception," Fuu jibed, giving Naruto a cheeky grin. "I don't know about you, but I feel okay."

"Just my luck," Naruto murmured.

"By the way, when did you find out you were the Yondaime Hokage's son?"

"Not this again..."

The two jinchuriki were sitting at the base of the great tree that overshadowed much of Takigakure, waiting for Han to return. He was across the body of water that surrounded the tree, speaking with Shibuki. Behind Shibuki stood Kurotsuchi and Koharu, the former of which looked fairly curious.

Han was explaining what he was going to do with the junior demon containers to Shibuki. It was smart to be preemptive in case anything went wrong. One could never be too careful when using a Tailed Beast's chakra and Shibuki's expression indicated that he was well-aware of that fact.

Finally, Han's words managed to get through to Shibuki, and the leader let them be. Shibuki had his own tasks to perform in conjunction with the Hokage and Tsuchikage, and he trusted Han to prevent any possible catastrophes.

"Are you two ready to start?" Han asked once he had crossed the small lake.

"Of course!" Naruto exclaimed.

"What are we going to do?" Fuu chirped.

The giant sat onto the dry ground, his armor clinking with each movement. He crossed his legs and assumed a meditative stance. "In order to control a Biju's chakra, you must have total control over yourself. Emotional control is necessary even if you and your Biju are agreeable towards each other."

"It's always good to keep a level head during a fight," Fuu said with a nod.

"In addition to emotional control, you must be able to know who you are and accept that which you are," Han said. "This means that you must realize that you are not perfect, that you are only human, and that you have faults like everyone else in the world does. In effect, you must accept your true self."

Naruto and Fuu stared at him in confusion. "Uh... Han, how are we supposed to do that?" the blonde asked.

"And what do you mean by 'true self'?" Fuu added.

"It is... difficult to properly explain," the giant replied. "For now, pull on the chakra of your respective Biju. I shall restrain you if need be. Shibuki has already given us free reign, though there will be a few of his shinobi watching just in case. Kurotsuchi too is observing us."

The engine on Han's back belched out copious amounts of steam, all of which shrouded the three jinchuriki. The gas wasn't thick enough to completely obscure them, instead serving as a way for Han to have an easier time of exerting Kokuou's chakra.

Naruto peered at the thin shell of steam dubiously. "Are you sure about this? I don't think this is safe..."

"Please, trust me. Kokuou trusted you two enough to reveal his name."

An otherworldly feeling pressed down on Naruto and he saw that Fuu had already drawn on some of the Nanabi's chakra. Two pairs of glowing, green wings protruded from her back, fluttering gently in the afternoon air.

Breathing in deeply, Naruto drew on the Kyuubi's chakra and watched with some detachment as his fingernails elongated. It wasn't enough to form an actual cloak, but smells were becoming more pungent, and sights sharper than they usually were.

"That isn't enough for the differences to make themselves clear," Han chastised. "Don't worry about ninja noticing the demonic chakra. My steam will prevent too much of it from becoming noticeable. Now then, draw on enough to fully form a cloak around your bodies."

The two relented and called forth more chakra. Naruto found that it was a bit easier than the last time he had done so and wondered if Fuu felt the same.

Then again, using the Kyuubi's chakra was easier each time he dragged it from the seal. Had using it as a beacon when he met Orochimaru helped him, or was it possibly the encounter with the Tailed Beasts themselves?

The giant sized up the trunk of the massive tree he was sitting next to and then glanced in the direction of the village. He sighed, and said, "I was hoping to have you two enter a meditative trance while increasing the amount of your Tailed Beast's chakra flowing through your body. Unfortunately, as this method can quickly force you to release too much power, I doubt I could handle both of you at once should you lose control.

"Instead, I want you two to fight each other."

"Really?" Naruto said with some surprise, his voice guttural.

"What about people noticing we're using this chakra?" Fuu questioned, her voice remaining unchanged.

"Remember, my steam will restrain the notable feeling of a Biju's chakra, and I am more than capable enough to saturate this entire area with it," Han assured. "The ninja in Taki will understand just what we are doing. They will understand that this may be necessary."

"So... we're going to be accepting ourselves. Our true selves, I mean," Naruto amended.

Han was silent for a moment before saying, "I completed this form of training through meditation and many long hours of using Kokuou's chakra. Although you two cannot meditate here while drawing on too much chakra, continually using your Biju's power might be able to elicit the same result as stronger emotions are brought forth.

"Hopefully, as you two fight, you will come to understand both yourselves and each other, perhaps coming one step closer to realizing just who you truly are, and one step closer to accepting who you may be."

Naruto wasn't really reassured, but if this would help him in controlling the Kyuubi's chakra, then he'd give it a shot. Being able to assert control over greater amounts of the fox's chakra would aid him in helping Konoha end the war and the suffering it was bringing, as well as hopefully preventing any _accidents_ from occurring in the future.

The blonde trudged out into the shallow water, away from the large tree that was Takigakure's pride and joy, and eyed the large amounts of steam that hung over their pseudo-battlefield. Fuu's wings fluttered, leaving neon green streaks in the air as she floated a short distance away from her friend.

Kurotsuchi, who was still watching them, caught Han's eye and turned to say a few words to a frowning Koharu. Several Taki-nin who had been stationed on the rooftops jumped down to observe the spectacle as well.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Fuu demurred, casting a worried glance in the direction of her comrades. The majority of the buildings fortunately weren't built next to the shore, but she still couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

Naruto's single chakra tail lazily writhed in the air behind him. "I hope Granny Koharu and Kurotsuchi don't get hurt. Karin's definitely going to realize what's going on..."

The two turned to the small group of ninja watching them and saw that none of them, including Kurotsuchi, displayed any fear at all. If anything, what Han had said was true: they seemed understanding of the situation and what had necessitated it. Taki and Konoha were benefiting from the arrangement more than Iwa was, after all.

"Remember to restrain your emotions if you find yourself losing control," Han announced.

And with that, the two jinchuriki- despite their hesitation- launched their chakra-wreathed bodies at each other. Their charge lacked major aggression and it was obvious that they were treating the fight as a friendly spar.

Never mind the chaotic power they were currently wielding...

As Naruto's fists swung through the air, he quickly realized that Fuu was more agile than he was- a _lot_ more agile. The green-haired kunoichi didn't need to touch the water's surface, instead hovering about like a butterfly. It gave her greater maneuverability and, when Naruto's rapidly frenetic strikes increased in intensity, allowed her to rise straight up into the air.

Once she was in the air, Naruto jumped up, chakra tail spinning like a pinwheel. Fuu merely flapped her wings and corkscrewed towards him, quickly building up speed in the process.

Fuu's shoulder met Naruto's chest and, with a loud grunt, the blonde shot backward into the water. He bounced up and righted himself as his red cloak fixed the nasty bruise he had obtained. On the shoreline closest to the village, Naruto heard cheering.

One chakra tail split into two, bringing with it additional strength and speed, along with another manipulable appendage. Grinning at his friend, Naruto willed the two tails to act. Both shot forward, extending several times their initial length while forming intimidating, red claws at their tips.

"Not fast enough, Whiskers!" Fuu exclaimed, performing several daunting twists and turns that would make any acrobat green with envy. One chakra tail would be narrowly evaded and another would just barely miss as the kunoichi spun out of the way, laughing in delight throughout the entire ordeal.

"Ugh," Naruto groaned, "that just isn't fair." Then he jumped up again and swiped at Fuu with an outstretched fist. The cloak surrounding it stretched out, though it too missed the female jinchuriki.

However, with three chakra appendages swirling about in the air, Fuu managed to find herself trapped. In a manner strongly resembling an angry chef and a fly, one of the appendages swatted the girl out of the sky, sending her plummeting downward.

Fuu stabilized her fall and sprouted an additional pair of wings, causing her bright green chakra cloak to thicken and darken in color. A small, horn-like bit of chakra protruded from her forehead.

Three pairs of wings beat as one, granting Fuu incredible aerial mobility, and allowing her to tackle Naruto while he was falling to the water. The two chakra cloaks hissed and spit loudly when they made contact with each other, but the two jinchuriki didn't notice.

One was trying to get out of Fuu's ungodly powerful grip and the other was about to chuck him away. If Naruto couldn't escape his friend's grip, then he'd simply cut off her means of flight. His tails snapped at Fuu's wings, knocking her off-course.

Letting go of Naruto's midsection, Fuu delivered a rather strong kick that knocked the air out of his lungs. Naruto flailed about before his chakra tails hit the water, saving from a painful belly-flop. As Naruto righted himself, he realized that the stifling hatred and heaviness that came with using the Kyuubi's chakra had lessened a fair amount.

"Should I use more...?" the blonde mused, shooting a glance at Han's direction. The Gobi's jinchuriki was standing stock-still, watching his juniors fight without a hint of emotion. Steam was still being belched by the contraption on his back, presumably interfering with the chakra they were emitting.

Well, if that were true, then Naruto would continue onward. Fuu was definitely at an advantage with the abilities grudgingly granted to her by the Nanabi. Briefly, he wondered if she felt it was easier to use Biju chakra as well.

"Hey, Whiskers! Do ya give up?" Fuu taunted, suspended in the air with a haughty expression on her face. The effect was ruined by the genuine smile she was wearing.

Chuckling to himself, Naruto drew on the Kyuubi's chakra again, and heard its warnings echoing within his thoughts. A third tail sprouted from his tailbone and the pressure bearing down on his very being multiplied.

"'Course not! Uzumaki Naruto never gives up!" he yelled back. By now, his voice was more of a loud growl than its normally exuberant tone.

The blonde took a step forward and gasped. His cloak began to bubble furiously and constrict at the same time, strangling him with its oppressive heat. Shoulders slumping, a fourth tail appeared behind the blonde, and a veil of red covered Naruto's vision, followed by an intense desire to utterly _destroy_.

Conscious thought was banished, with the last thing Naruto heard being Fuu's concerned cry. His skin began to peel off, but before Naruto's rapidly darkening cloak could become too damaging, Han appeared in front of him.

Han completely ignored the dangerous shroud of chakra around Naruto's body and tapped Naruto's forehead. The cloak dissipated and the blonde collapsed in a wordless bundle.

"Naruto! What happened? Are you okay? Is he gonna be okay?"

"Calm down," Han ordered, stopping Fuu from spewing another barrage of rapid-fire questions.

Utatane Koharu walked up to the three jinchuriki, scowling angrily at the man who dwarfed her in size. "I thought as much," she spat. "This was a bad idea from the start! I can understand you teaching him how to use that inner power of his, but here, amongst civilians? Even they could feel... this!"

"B-But... Han's steam-"

"Proved to be useless when the fourth tail appeared," Koharu rebuffed. "He'll need to be taken to a medical facility for a few days. His skin doesn't look good at all. Why did you encourage this?"

Bowing his head, Han explained himself. "There is a particular way in learning how to use all of a Biju's chakra at once. I was simply trying to expedite the process. Perhaps I was too hasty."

"Hmph. That you were." The elder gave the conscious jinchuriki a glance, and added, "Why did this not afflict the girl?"

"I... think I can understand myself, maybe? Han said controlling the chakra meant you had to accept yourself," Fuu answered, her cloak having long since been retracted into her body, "and I... I guess I can understand what I'm meant to do and why I'm supposed to do it. I may not like it, but..."

Grunting lowly, Koharu placed a hand over Naruto's body. A green glow emanated from her palm and pockets of Naruto's burned skin slowly started to heal. "Naruto was supposed to have dominance over three tails," she said as she worked. "If there was an enticing enough objective, the fourth tail could be controlled as well. He drew on this power too quickly."

"He may have some issues when he wakes up," Han said. At Koharu's deadpan expression, he amended his statement, "emotional and mental issues, I mean. Physically speaking, he should heal quickly enough."

The glow faded from Koharu's hand, and she said, "Hiruzen will be coming to see what has happened. Help me get him to your hospital."

The ninja of Takigakure glanced at the blonde ninja in worry as he was toted past them.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiruzen and Onoki are scheming with Shibuki trying to follow, and Naruto can control Kyuubi chakra a bit easier than before, and he knows how he's supposed to control it all even if he can't do it at the moment.<strong>

**Let me know what you think, and if there are any errors, continuity or otherwise, please let me know.**

**Just to clear up confusion, here's what's going on the with ninja villages right now:**

_**Konoha, Ame, Iwa, Kiri, and Taki are currently allied. They're fighting against Suna, Oto (which is more disparate), Kusa, Kumo, and the Land of Snow.**_

_**Ishigakure (Land of Stone) has been overrun and destroyed by Suna. Kumo has bypassed (and is essentially controlling) the Land of Frost, and has managed to boot out Konoha's presence in the Land of Hot Springs. The Land of Snow is attempting to control Kiri's seas, though the Mizukage has been retaliating with a large degree of success.**_

_**Part of the Land of Fire is occupied by Kusa's army, and Kumo is encroaching from the north. However, Konoha and Ame have managed to delve deep into the Suna-controlled Land of Rivers. Iwa is defending itself from incursions by Suna/Oto forces, and the Land of Sea- which held an Oto base- has been removed from the war.**_

**Hopefully that's satisfactory to anyone who's still scratching their head.  
><strong>


	35. Onward

Chapter Thirty-five: Onward

"**Are you awake yet, brat?**"

Naruto groaned and reached up to rub at his throbbing temple. Although his arm felt sluggish and heavy, the only source of pain he detected was thankfully in the form of a headache.

_What happened? Did I conk out again?_ The blond cracked open his eyes and, after initially being blinded by bright light, managed to take in his surroundings.

"**You managed to nearly lose control of yourself. Thankfully, Kokuou's jinchuriki was able to stop you before things got out of hand.**"

_Where am I now?_

"**A hospital. It's a rather familiar scene, if I'm remembering correctly,**" the fox replied. Its host could hear the light humor in its deep voice.

_I guess I wasn't ready to... accept myself yet_, Naruto thought.

"**Obviously not. Do you remember anything specific?**"

The blond squeezed his eyes shut and thought back. He remembered using the Kyuubi's chakra to fight against Fuu, as well as Han's instructions to draw upon more and more of its chakra. Once he reached a certain point, he drew a blank.

_I used too much power. I wasn't ready to accept it._

"**I was hoping that our discussion would enable you to progress further, but this is evidently not the case,**" the Kyuubi rumbled.

Naruto's mindscape appeared before him, sewer water and all. The great fox that was sealed inside was lying on its stomach with its nine, furry tails splayed out behind its body. Despite its intimidating size, the Kyuubi appeared to be calm and relaxed.

"I don't understand," Naruto glumly said, splashing down in front of the Biju. "Why can't I control more than three tails worth of your chakra? How am I supposed to do anything more if I don't even know what it is I need to accept about myself?"

"**Therein lies the problem, and the struggle,**" the titanic fox rumbled. "**This is for you to figure out. When it happens, your abilities will improve. Obtaining great power should not be easy to begin with.**"

"Can you at least make sure I don't lose control too often?"

"**I can warn you. Just be sure to be cautious, Naruto, for it is only **_**your**_** own will that controls my chakra. Now, get out of here. It seems as if those other humans are approaching.**"

Blinking rapidly as he returned to the outside world, Naruto watched as one relieved female went up to his side while the other merely smirked from behind her glasses. One aging leader, along with his two old friends, approached his bed as well. Thankfully, his migraine had vanished while he had been speaking with his inner demon.

"How long was I out?" Naruto asked before anyone could begin to dote over him.

"About one day," the Hokage replied. "We were surprised your wounds healed quickly enough for the medics to remove your bandages early. Entire sections of your skin were burned off, leading us to believe that you were in serious condition. Han insisted otherwise, but, well, the way you looked told us a different story."

"Are you feeling all right in there?" Koharu questioned.

The blonde lifted up his upper body and slowly stretched out his limbs, feeling no pain at all. "Yep, I'm fine. If my skin really did burn off, I'm not feeling or seeing it," he stated.

"It's probably the Kyuubi's chakra, especially given how it's acting now," Fuu quietly supplied.

"The amount of chakra running through your system was ridiculous," Karin remarked, her voice tinged with awe. "It was overbearing and powerful, and I've never sensed that much active chakra running through one person. That giant guy, Han, had a lot of chakra too. All three of you do. More than Uncle Nagato, actually, and his chakra is crazy."

"I suppose it would be," Hiruzen cryptically rumbled. "The hospital staff has told us that you can leave today, which is good news. Onoki and I have been discussing plans with Shibuki, and we have a method of attack we'd like to employ. It should serve to put stress on the Land of Wind in addition to forcing Kusa's army to fight back-to-back."

"That means we can kick them out of the Land of Fire, right? Some of the stuff I've heard they've been doing is pretty terrible," Naruto said.

Most of it was likely fabricated. Propaganda could be a powerful tool and could help spur armies into action. Kusagakure's shinobi had ransacked a town or two, if only for supplies. Resistance, however, was quickly and completely crushed.

"It's going to help us, too," Fuu chirped. "Kusa's army will be fragmented, I think, when we're done with it. This benefits everyone's defenses!"

"However, since Takigakure's army is comparatively smaller than our own, Fuu-san will have to be part of their leading offensive," Homura interjected. "They will be creeping down from the north, whereas we will be attacking from the east and the south. We will be leaving to fight with our own shinobi, as I'm sure they will want to get our land back. You're joining us, Naruto."

"Kusa's army is currently occupying a town known as Senpuku, where most of the civilians have deserted their homes rather than risk retribution for rising up. Hopefully, their resistance will break as quick as possible. Then we can focus our efforts on stopping Sunagakure and forcing Kumogakure to halt its forceful advances," Koharu added.

"How many ninja do they have? Last time, they had that Utakata guy who took us by surprise," the Uzumaki stated.

"Their army is not as large as the portion we will be sending to deal with them, and Taki's help will quickly overwhelm them," Homura said.

The blonde squinted and pensively gazed up at the plain ceiling. "Do you think they'll surrender when they find out they're outnumbered and outmatched?"

The Hokage frowned and tilted his head. "We can only hope, Naruto-kun. Some ninja, in the face of defeat, choose to disregard their safety and attempt to complete their given mission at all costs. In this case, it would be to keep their footing. If they surrender, there will be much less bloodshed. Otherwise..."

Hiruzen trailed off, giving Naruto a meaningful stare. Quite a few ninja villages operated with such a mindset, where carrying out the mission was to be done at all costs, even if the mission in question was paramount to suicide. All it led to was a higher body count and more unnecessary suffering.

"Then, are we going to get Jiraiya-sensei and Asuma-sensei when we leave?" the blonde asked, opting to change the subject.

"They are more than skilled enough to find their own way back," Koharu assured. "Their objective was to find documents pertaining to Mui and his affiliation with Orochimaru. I'm sure they'll be waiting for us once we reach Konoha; Kusagakure is not the most fortified village, if I do say so myself."

Homura chuckled at the small amount of smugness in Koharu's tone. "No need to boast about something these youngsters won't know. We'll be leaving soon, under the cover of the night."

"I'll be sure to get ready, too," Karin said.

With that, the three elder ninja left the room, but not before the Hokage graced them all with a small smile. As soon as they departed, Naruto's stomach rumbled loudly, eliciting giggles from Fuu and a scoff from Karin.

"All guys definitely think with their stomach," the redhead dryly remarked.

"Not fair," Naruto whined. "I just woke up and haven't had breakfast yet." He made to whip the blanket off of his body, but the sound of a throat being cleared distracted him.

"Do you not realize you are wearing a hospital gown?" a deep voice asked. Han- who was still wearing his bulky armor despite being inside of such a place- was standing in the doorway. "I'm not sure it would be proper to reveal yourself to two kunoichi. Unless, of course, that is your intention."

Staring blankly at Han, Naruto thought that the man was trying- and failing, in the blonde's opinion- to be funny. Then he realized that Han was being completely serious. No humor had been evident in his tone of voice. "No, I was going to get breakfast," Naruto answered with a chortle. "Come to check up on me, Han?"

Eying a red-faced Karin, Han said, "Yes. Allow me to apologize for being the cause of your distress." A gloved hand reached into an opening of the armor and pulled out a bag. One plastic bowl of steaming ramen that practically had Naruto salivating was procured and quickly handed over, along with chopsticks and a napkin.

"How did you know Whiskers likes ramen?" Fuu asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I didn't," was the flat reply. "Tsuchikage-sama would not let me go when Naruto's superiors left. I was simply looking to give him a small present, and Kurotsuchi mentioned that hospital food tastes bad."

"Ah, it's no problem, Han!" Naruto cheerily cried, noisily slurping up some noodles hanging from his lips. "It's not your fault, don't worry! You were only trying to help us."

"Regardless, losing control could have ended badly, and not only for yourself." Han paused and glanced at Karin, who had recomposed herself. "Until you have managed to resolve your inner issues, using the Kyuubi's chakra has the potential to become exceedingly dangerous."

"I won't hurt any of my friends. Definitely not," Naruto resolutely stated. "If there's one thing I won't stand for, it's that. No matter what."

"Ugh, a lot of this is going over my head," Karin admitted, her lips twisting into an irritated scowl.

"Of course it is. You wouldn't understand anything about this," Fuu said. She blinked and then clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. That was rude, wasn't it?"

"It's fine," Karin replied. "You're right, anyway. From what I can tell, all of that chakra you're controlling comes with some stipulation, right? There's a catch to all of that power, isn't there?"

Naruto explained how the chakra of a Tailed Beast could include the beast's own will, which had the ability to overwhelm a jinchuriki with malice and hatred. Once a jinchuriki lost control, the Tailed Beast could exert its influence, which could ultimately result in the beast walking free.

However, if the Biju was on relatively good terms with the host, then it could prevent its will from seeping into its chakra. Problems could still arise though depending on whether or not the jinchuriki in question was able to accept his or her true self.

"That sounds awfully vague," Karin remarked after the lengthy explanation.

"Unfortunately, it can be," Naruto responded. Pointing a thumb at Han, and then Fuu, he continued, "They've already pretty much accepted themselves, so I'm trying to figure out how to do so. Han said it should be different for each jinchuriki since they themselves are different from each other."

Rubbing her chin, Karin suggested, "Perhaps it has something to do with your past? If you examine your past and slowly move up to the future, you might be able to find something that makes you uncomfortable." She shrugged. "Sorry I can't really think of anything else."

"Any help is appreciated. This kind of thing should not be dealt with alone. I had my own help, and Fuu likely had hers," Han remarked. The green-haired girl nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Thanks, Karin, and thanks again, Han," Naruto said, placing his empty bowl on the counter next to his bed. He cleared his throat and added, "Uh, can you guys all leave? I kinda want to get dressed so I can get out of here."

**VvVvV**

(Konohagakure no Sato)

The group had left Taki later that same day, just as the sun was setting. However, unlike the last time Naruto had left Taki, Fuu hadn't really cried. She had seemed sad, yes, but Naruto was glad to see that she had precious people in her own village that would help keep her spirits high.

That didn't necessarily mean she- or he, for that matter- enjoyed the departure. A bit of solace could be found in the fact that they were essentially going to fight the same battle fairly soon enough. Meeting again as allies on the battlefield sounded good to him.

Han, along with the Tsuchikage and his granddaughter, had remained behind. They would leave once they finished finalizing a few last things with Shibuki, as the Tsuchikage had his own village to command and lead.

Jiraiya and Asuma hadn't met up with the group as they were traveling to Amegakure to speak with Yahiko. Naruto had later found out that they had finished their mission early and were going to share their results with the Hokage.

At the moment, Naruto was being dragged somewhere by his pink-haired teammate. She had found him as he was trying to seal various weapons onto his person in preparation for his upcoming deployment to help boot Kusagakure's army from the Land of Fire.

"Do we have to do this, Sakura-chan? You haven't even told me why we're going out to eat!" Naruto exasperatedly protested.

Far be it for him to refuse hanging out with his friends, but he _had_ been sort of busy before being forcibly picked up. Naruto wanted to make sure nothing went wrong during the battle- he didn't want to come up short and end up in a situation that led to his comrades getting hurt.

"Yes, we do. Now come on, walk faster! Everyone's waiting for us since you hide in the dumbest places!"

Naruto directed his gaze to the kunoichi who had wrapped her arm around one of his. She looked nice, he supposed, wearing black shorts, boots, and gloves, along with a red top that was covered by a chunin vest. Her pink hair, having grown to her shoulders, gently swayed behind her.

With a sigh, Naruto fell into step with his friend, and she smirked victoriously. Sakura led him to a familiar restaurant, _Yakiniku Q_. When they entered the place, Sakura brought Naruto to a large table that seated their friends, the ones who had all graduated with them.

"Hey, they're here!"

"Took them long enough... troublesome blonde..."

"Oi, Naruto! It's about time you showed up, eh?"

"Whoa, almost everyone's here," Naruto exclaimed with a surprised smile. Each of the ninja he had graduated with were present, all of them wearing a chunin vest over their clothing. Taking a seat across from Sasuke and next to Ino, the blonde asked, "So, mind telling me what the occasion is?"

"Apparently Sasuke here wanted to have one last meal with us before we all have to fight for our lives in one big, troublesome battle," Shikamaru drawled.

"All of us were assigned to help get rid of Kusa," Ino elaborated. She pumped her fist in the air and said, "This is our chance to show everyone just how great we are. Can you believe we were once baby genin?"

She grabbed her vest for emphasis, causing a few of the friends to chuckle.

Kiba guffawed. "I dunno about you guys, but I was practically chunin the moment I became part of Kurenai-sensei's team."

"Then why did you fail the first chunin exam you participated in, whereas Naruto and Sasuke did not?" Shino asked, his sunglasses flashing eerily.

Sakura ignored Kiba's indignant squawk. "It was nice of you to invite everyone here, Sasuke-kun. We can't train all the time, and a bit of relaxation never killed anyone," she said with a smile.

"You invited everyone, Sasuke? Where are Lee, Tenten, and Neji?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Neji is out of the village," Hinata quietly supplied. "I believe Lee-san and Tenten-san are accompanying him on a mission."

"Ah, really? That's a shame. They would've enjoyed this," the Uzumaki replied.

Chouji swallowed the food he had been chewing and added, "Their names seem familiar... were they the ones who came with us to the chunin exams in Kirigakure?"

"Anyway," Kiba loudly said, shooting Shino a glare, "what've you guys been workin' on? Shino's got some cool new techniques, but I think mine take the cake. Can anyone else transform into a gigantic, three-headed dog? Anyone? 'Cause if you can't, I think that makes me the most badass person here."

"Boasting does not improve your skills," Shino stated. "In fact, the last time you used that particular technique, you were unable to correctly control it. Do I need to tell everyone what happened afterward?"

"Come on, Shino!" Kiba growled, glancing away as Hinata giggled. "Fine then, how about someone else talks? Anyone else got something to kick Kusa-nin ass with? What about you and that one lion technique you were practicing, Hinata?"

"Ah, y-yes," Hinata said. "Um... I developed my own technique that's based on the Gentle Fist style."

Kiba rolled his eyes at his teammate's hesitance. "She creates two lion heads that cover her hands and forearms that are made out of chakra. Anything they touch gets shredded, and Shino's bugs can't soften the attack unless a few of them are already on her."

"That sounds pretty neat," Naruto acknowledged. "Must be hard to maintain an actual shell of chakra like that, though."

"It does take a lot out of me whenever I use it," Hinata quietly murmured, not quite meeting Naruto's eyes. He furrowed his brow at her behavior before shrugging and picking up a piece of meat.

"As interesting as it is to hear about this, I'm sure Sasuke invited us here for a reason. You've never really been the type of person to actively go to these types of gatherings, much less call for them," Shikamaru interrupted, giving the Uchiha a dull stare.

"Are you sure about that?" Sasuke replied evenly. "I've come here before with Team Seven."

"That doesn't count, does it?" Chouji asked, popping more food into his mouth despite how full it was.

"Yeah, those are more like team bonding activities," Ino agreed, sending her rotund teammate a withering glare. "Asuma-sensei had to practically drag Shikamaru along whenever we had one of those."

"Let's just hear him out, guys," Sakura said.

Sasuke sat up. "In any case, Shikamaru is right. Although I do regard you all as my friends, I'm not the kind of person who comes to this sort of thing. When I was younger, I was always much too focused on my training. I think I've moved away from that thanks to Team Seven. We've had our fair share of battle-heavy adventures."

"Aww," Naruto taunted, "I'm flattered, you bastard."

"How cute," Kiba dryly jibed.

"Shut up, you two!" Sakura hissed. "Let Sasuke-kun continue!"

"The point of this gathering wasn't to tell you all how much you mean to me. Yeah, we're all friends, but there's a point I'm going to address that directly relates to it," Sasuke said when he was given silence.

"Does this have anything to do with what happened in the village of Ganshou? My father told me about what happened to Mikoto-san. It is good that she is all right," Shino offered.

Naruto scowled. "Your mom got hurt? How?"

"Sakura already knows. You, on the other hand, are always out of the village whenever I return. You're never here long enough for us to hang out or anything," Sasuke explained.

"Damn it... this makes me feel like a dick. I should've gotten her some flowers."

Sasuke put up a hand to forestall any further apologies. "Don't worry about it; we all have our own missions and responsibilities to carry out. However, my mom can't be a kunoichi anymore. One of her lungs was damaged and had to be removed, so strenuous activity is permanently out for her.

"What happened was that she protected me from an enemy who had some strange bloodline limit and she ended up taking serious damage in the process. In all honesty, right then and there was when I wanted to drop everything and kill the woman who did that to her. I still tried to go after her, even when the battle ended."

"Obviously, you were stopped," Ino remarked.

"Of course. My father and brother talked me out of leaving and managed to deliver a history lesson in the process." Sasuke's lips twisted and he looked as if he had swallowed something extremely bitter. He didn't sound very thrilled to be discussing his chosen topic, either.

"I assume this history lesson is what you wanted to discuss?" Shikamaru tiredly asked. The lazy Nara sighed and stretched out his arms. "This might've been better outside of a noisy restaurant, especially if it's something ordinary ears aren't meant to hear."

"It's not something the Uchiha Clan should hide anymore. My father says that, since people trust us again, secrets like this shouldn't be kept. And, before anyone asks, our clan was actually pretty reviled after the Kyuubi attacked. An Uchiha was able to control the Kyuubi way back when, and people thought that we did it again to unleash destruction upon Konoha for whatever reason."

"Fear and pain tend to do that," his blonde teammate murmured, causing several pairs of eyes to flicker over to him.

"Our efforts, along with the Hokage's faith, enabled us to change that stigma. Unfortunately, my clan still has a black mark on it, one that we've apparently kept well-hidden for fear of retribution. As you've all probably surmised, with the exception of Naruto-"

"Hey!"

"-I've only recently learned about this. In fact, the majority of my clan is completely unaware that this secret exists." Sasuke paused for breath and to gauge his friends' reactions.

"There must be a good reason why it was kept a secret," Sakura murmured.

"Each clan keeps a few things close to their chests," Ino said. "What could be so bad that the Uchiha were afraid of being attacked over it?"

"Whatever it is, we've got your back even if you can sometimes be an anal retentive jackass," Kiba cheerily commented.

"You all might not stick to that mindset in a few minutes," the Uchiha darkly replied.

_That_ statement threw everyone for a loop. Each clan did have their own secrets that were usually related to their own special brand of techniques, or certain obligations that didn't apply to Konoha in particular.

None of those clan secrets were considered dangerous to Konoha's continued safety. Indeed, if they were, then the Hokage- or his ninja- would eventually become suspicious based on the clan's actions, which would lead to a confrontation.

Should a confrontation occur, if the clan in question really did have malicious intentions towards Konoha, then a fight would break out, and blood would be spilled. In Konoha's history, nothing close to that had happened, as far as the public knew.

"As I said, the general populace was fairly suspicious and fearful of my clan until the Hokage intervened and we managed to change the people's opinions. This secret was kept so that people wouldn't look down on us again. As of recently, my father and brother made the decision to let others know about it.

"During war, anyone can die. This includes family and friends. Loved ones may die or become critically wounded, and this can give those close to them a lot of emotional trauma," Sasuke continued. His eyes turned red, and he pointed a finger to them. "The Sharingan, before Konoha was founded, was known as the _Eye of Emotion_, in part because it becomes more powerful as it reflects the feelings of the user."

"That's why your Sharingan was awakened during battle," Sakura breathed as comprehension dawned. "A high-stress situation in which our lives were on the line. You wanted to protect us, didn't you?"

"And during the chunin exams, after the training session, I remember your Sharingan was enhanced. What the hell kind of training were you going through?" Naruto queried.

"Training that simulated battles in which I was fighting for my life. I wanted to run the gauntlet, and my brother obliged," Sasuke answered. "The results of my training gave me a fully evolved Sharingan... or so I thought."

"You're saying there's another stage of the Sharingan that is either dangerous to your clan or to Konoha," Shikamaru surmised. He let out a bored yawn and said, "What does it do?"

Sasuke scowled at the Nara. Still pointing to his eyes, though not making eye-contact with any of his friends, Sasuke replied, "The _Mangekyou Sharingan_ is the next stage of Sharingan a user can obtain. It's... well, extremely powerful, to the point where overuse will slowly lead to blindness, or so I've been told."

"That sounds like a pretty nasty trade-off," Kiba remarked with a low whistle.

"The blindness isn't even the worst part," Sasuke bitterly said. "Damage to your eyes only occurs after you get the Mangekyou Sharingan. In order to actually unlock the eyes, a person needs to experience the emotional trauma of losing the closest person in your life. Since the Mangekyou Sharingan is so powerful, in the Uchiha Clan's past, our members would actually kill each other to unlock them."

The table was silent at that proclamation. All around them, the restaurant buzzed on, blissfully unaware of the conversation the Konoha ninja were having. Despite Sasuke's wishes, most civilians wouldn't intrude on ninja business, especially if those ninja were the ones protecting them.

Sasuke focused on the steaming food in front of him, unwilling to meet any of his friend's eyes. While he knew his friends wouldn't fault him over a piece of his clan's history, he still found the information to be disgusting.

"Eh, I don't see the big deal," Naruto sniffed. "It's not like you're going to go nuts and attack us or something, right? You wouldn't go out and off one of your friends."

"I sincerely doubt he would," Shikamaru dryly said. "I can see why your clan kept this from Konoha, though."

The others solemnly nodded. Indeed, the Mangekyou Sharingan was a double-edged sword, possibly obtained by cutting right through the line of morality. How could a Konoha-nin trust an Uchiha to watch his back if that same Uchiha wanted to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan?

The prospect of great power would've driven a wedge between the Uchiha and their comrades.

Naruto stifled a sigh. At least now he knew why Shisui had acted the way he had. Making sure no one around was close enough to be considered dear to you would be useful in preventing the awakening of the Mangeyou if the Uchiha in question had to watch that person die.

He'd rather face the consequences for awakening the Mangekyou rather than not become close to someone, but that was the blonde's opinion, and he'd craved any kind of human contact for most of his life.

"Killing a friend is something I would never do, but Itachi warned me about the trauma. If we all fight together and one of you becomes mortally wounded in front of me, I might consequently unlock the eyes. Had my mother died, I'm certain I would've manifested the Mangekyou Sharingan," Sasuke finally stated.

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Sasuke-san," Hinata reassured. "We have each other to rely on, don't we? I-If we work together, we'll be able to drive the Kusa-nin back, hopefully without incurring too many injuries."

"Sasuke-kun, we're your friends. We'd accept you no matter how your eyes look," Sakura softly said.

"So long as you don't betray any of us, and I think there's nothing to worry about in that regard," Naruto quickly added. The blonde paused for a moment as the others voiced their agreement, and then snickered quietly.

The Uchiha, gracing everyone around him with a pleased smile, turned back to his blonde friend and raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny, Naruto? If you're making fun of me, I'm hypnotizing you."

"I'll tell you later."

"Are we done with the depressing lesson yet?" Kiba interrupted. "It was interesting, yeah, but I don't think this is what we should be hearing right before we head out to battle, eh?"

"You're probably right," Sasuke replied. "I just needed to get this off my chest since we're all going to fight together."

"No problem, Sasuke. Like Hinata said, we can all rely on each other, cause that's what Konoha-nin do!" Naruto exclaimed.

His grin was mirrored by the others sitting at the table, including Sasuke.

**VvVvV**

(The Land of Snow)

Houzuki Mangetsu shivered for what must have been the tenth time in as many minutes and he was valiantly trying not to sneeze. Low temperatures weren't really his forte- he much preferred Kirigakure no Sato's much more level climate.

Gods, how he utterly _detested_ the snow. He hated it with a fiery passion, one he wished would warm him up.

At least his body wouldn't freeze...

"Feelin' like an ice cube yet?" Zabuza jibed, trudging through the chilly slush as if he hadn't a care in the world. The weather definitely did not bother him, something that made Mangetsu incredibly jealous.

Mangetsu brandished Hiramekarei at his partner, angrily swinging the weapon like a baton. "If we weren't doing this on Yagura's orders, I would've smashed you into the ground already!" the annoyed man growled.

Easily sidestepping the broad sword while chortling at Mangetsu's current demeanor, Zabuza replied, "Maybe you should calm down. After all, we're right next to the castle."

"Aw, what does it matter? These Snow ninja wouldn't be able to hear us even if we shouted our names and purpose here at the top of our lungs," Mangetsu quipped, his anger entirely forgotten. "Besides, that would probably make things more challenging. The snowflakes cover our tracks and reduce visibility to the point where it would be wasteful to create mist."

"You're right," Zabuza said with a sagely nod, followed by a low groan. "Too bad Yagura would kill us if we tried to have too much fun. Anyway, how do you want to do this?"

"As fast as possible; the real fighting's bound to be more fun, and I'm pretty sure Ameyuri is having the time of her life right now," Mangetsu muttered. "Stupid little runt gets to shoot lightning and all that..."

"We're going to have to ignore the guards, then," Zabuza replied.

"Not like they were doing anything productive anyway..."

Both of the swordsmen looked at the large castle a short distance away. Tall, dark, and foreboding, it gave off a vibe that was probably better suited for a movie. Most of its defenses were rather pitiable by most shinobi standards, which was why there were so many guards patrolling the perimeter.

None of the guards were decent, of course, as Zabuza and Mangetsu were continually able to evade them without much effort. At all. Then again, that might've been because the two men were incredibly skilled at infiltration and assassination.

The technology that had been seen when the two landed hadn't particularly impressed them either. Flying blimps, metal ships, and iron cannons all looked nice and deadly to civilian settlements, but to skilled ninja were only obstructions to be picked apart and destroyed, or bypassed completely.

"I should've stolen that white cloak before we left that one town," Mangetsu grumbled as the wind briefly picked up. "Would've made great camouflage, too," he grumpily added.

Growling to himself, Zabuza snapped, "Stop whining! It's probably warmer inside this thing. Besides, the quicker we finish, the quicker we can head back."

Finally, the two stopped their impromptu chat and began to scale the castle wall. Due to the age of the fortress, bricks and stones jutted out in odd spots, allowing the ninja to climb up without the use of chakra.

Upon reaching the top, Zabuza peered over the ledge and came face-to-face with a heel. The Snow-nin above was smoking a cigarette, gazing blandly at the landscape before him. With a roll of his eyes and a mighty heave, Zabuza quietly pulled himself up, snapped the guard's neck, and silently placed him on the floor.

Following his partner's lead, Mangetsu cautiously glanced around, nearly releasing a scoff when he realized there were no other guards nearby. "Please tell me this isn't the best this Doto guy has," he whispered.

Not replying to Mangetsu's words, Zabuza peered around a corner and then kept moving onward. A few more enemy ninja were encountered afterward, though they were all easily dispatched by the stealthy assassins.

Using artificial mist to hide their movements wasn't even necessary. The black clouds in the sky and the falling snowflakes did a good enough job of that already.

A wooden door was eventually found. The light the bled through the sides made it clear that someone was home. Moving aside, Zabuza allowed Mangetsu to liquify himself and slowly seep through the small openings.

Standing to the side, the masked Kiri-nin was able to hear groans from the inside, as well as a few angry words being spoken. Tapping his foot impatiently, Zabuza counted off the seconds until the mutterings within went silent.

"Seventeen seconds? _Really?_" Zabuza growled when Mangetsu granted him entry.

Ignoring the fierce glower that was sent his way, the Houzuki dryly replied, "There was a prostitute in there. What did you want me to do, kill her?"

"Yes!"

"Whatever," Mangetsu grunted. He led Zabuza inside, who surveyed the decidedly warmer room with a critical eye.

There were three shinobi with their necks held at odd angles lying on the cold, stone floor. A wooden table with three glasses of what Zabuza assumed was beer stood upright, and a scantily clad woman- her cheeks red- slumped on a chair.

Picking up a glass, Zabuza gave it an experimental sniff and recoiled in horror. "How do these ninja drink this crappy excuse of an alcoholic drink? Ameyuri's beer isn't even this bad."

"Yeah, that was my first thought, too," Mangetsu dryly replied.

They exited the room, sticking to wherever the shadows clung, making their way down. Along the way, the two avoided a few ninja lingering in the hallways, some dropping a few words that made traversing the giant castle easier.

Doto, the domineering leader of the Land of Snow, was cooped up in the throne room, apparently awaiting news from his men. Zabuza and Mangetsu split up, one heading to hopefully find a vantage point and the other to act as a distraction.

Mangetsu incapacitated the two ninja guarding the entryway into the throne room easily enough and simply strode into the room. Scanning his surroundings, the Kiri-nin let out an appreciative hum.

The throne room was much more vibrant than the castle itself. A few paintings were hanging on the walls, with electrical lights decorating the ceiling and red carpet adorning the stone floor. A second floor was above the first, with elaborately carved stone railings on the edges. Torches placed atop gold pedestals flanked the intricately designed throne itself, where the large man known as Kazahana Doto was reclining.

"Nice place ya got here," Mangetsu noted. Pointing a finger at the pedestals, he asked, "Are those real gold?"

Doto eyed the Kiri-nin's forehead protector and chuckled. "Your Mizukage isn't happy with me, I presume?" he rumbled, his voice rich and deep.

"Not particularly," Mangetsu drawled in reply. "But really, are those gold? 'Cause if they are, then they've got to be worth a boatload."

"It is awfully arrogant of you to intrude in my home," Doto said, brushing off the assassin's question. "Do you think that you can defeat me alone? Me and my army? This castle of mine is full of my loyal shinobi."

"You don't say? They sure weren't difficult to fool. Are you the same way?" Mangetsu quipped.

Doto frowned at the Kiri-nin's bored indifference. "Tell me, did you come with a partner? Someone else, perhaps? Certainly one member of Kirigakure's famous Seven Swordsmen of the Mist wouldn't infiltrate an entirely country alone."

"Hiramekarei is too distinctive, I think. Ya think I should've come here without it? You might not have given me such a label otherwise."

"Tell me where your partner is, swordsman, and I may make your death quick and painless."

Mangetsu burst out laughing. He valiantly tried to withhold his amusement, but ended up failing spectacularly. It wasn't every day that he got to hear someone threaten him like that. Most of the time any enemy of the Seven Swordsmen were killed without knowing who had targeted them.

"Do my words amuse you, swordsman?"

Still guffawing to himself, the Houzuki managed to say, "Hell yeah! You really think you can kill me? That's the most hilarious thing I've heard all day!"

Doto rose from his throne, glaring heatedly at his foe. "Yes, I do. I am on a level entirely above that of yours. The Mizukage himself would quake in his boots if he fought me!"

"Is that so? My oh-so-fearsome leader afraid of a guy like you? Sorry, but _I_ ain't even afraid of you. You're just a tyrant lording over some second-rate country," Mangetsu taunted.

A smirk came to his face when he saw Doto getting visibly angered.

"_What_? Do you think you are better than me because I am not from one of the so-called _great_ villages?"

"Hey, you said it, not me," was the assassin's flippant response.

"My land will dominate yours!" the tyrannical leader bellowed. "We will prove that we are above your machinations, that our strength goes beyond what you simpletons fathom!"

"Big words there," the single listener pointed out.

"I am going to kill you and take your sword for myself. One of those famous swords will surely fetch a decent price on the market," Doto vowed with a sneer. Gesturing grandly to the faintly glowing armor he was wearing, the man continued, "My armor is indestructible. Anything you do won't-"

Mangetsu watched with thinly veiled interest as the man crumpled, the top half of his head falling to the floor with a wet slap. Zabuza nonchalantly walked out from behind the tall throne, his arm falling back to his side after replacing his large sword.

"I think he's dead," the Houzuki finally remarked when Zabuza toed the dead body experimentally.

"Without their all-powerful leader, the Land of Snow's going to back off," the masked Kiri-nin stated. "You know, I kind of want to see whether or not the guy was lying. You think this armor really is indestructible?"

"Nothing's indestructible," Mangetsu replied with a smirk. "The overall effect wouldn't be as great as it could be if his men walked into the throne room and saw their leader missing half his head and most of his clothes."

Zabuza snorted. "This guy seemed pretty angry when he was chatting with you. Village strength must have been a sore spot for him..."

"The weak want to be strong, and the strong want to oppress the weak," Mangetsu murmured. "Obviously, that's an incredibly narrow-minded view, but he must have believed it."

"Leave the poetry to the scholars and the weak-hearted," Zabuza grunted. He reached into a pouch strapped to his leg and took out a scroll that he threw onto the ground.

As it unraveled, Mangetsu raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is that for?" he asked, genuinely curious about why Zabuza was carrying what looked a complicated and difficult-to-understand storage scroll.

His partner's reason was revealed a few seconds later as a massive puff of smoke exploded outward from the scroll. Though thick, the cloud quickly dissipated, revealing a shocking sight.

"M-Mizukage-sama?" Mangetsu squawked, gaping at the shorter man. "How did you- What is-"

Chuckling at the swordsmen who at the moment strongly resembled a fish, Yagura said, "Reverse Summoning Technique, my friend. Jiraiya was kind enough to pass one off to my friend, who gave it to me as a gift. He thought it'd come in useful."

Once Mangetsu got his jaw working again, he glared at Zabuza. "Why was I not informed of this? You've known his the entire time, haven't you?" he demanded.

The Mizukage raised an eyebrow. "Were you not paying attention? Zabuza, didn't you brief him?"

Zabuza looked very uncomfortable when Yagura pinned him with a stern gaze. "Not about the reverse summoning. I figured it wasn't a big deal since I was supposed to do it when Doto was done for."

Blinking blankly, Yagura settled for sighing to himself. "Never mind. I should've figured you two would act like this, especially given how the Land of Snow is not known for its strength. Not even an anti-spacetime barrier..." The Mizukage sniffed disdainfully. "Very well. Stay back, the both of you."

Zabuza and Mangetsu backed away, watching as noxious chakra enveloped their leader. Three red tails sprouted from his tailbone and wrapped around his body, and the cloak began to darken until it seemed as if it reflected no light.

Sweating slightly at the density of chakra the Mizukage was handling, Mangetsu was forced to cover his face when an unnatural wind picked up. The tails around Yagura constricted more and more until what was once the Mizukage was now an incredibly thin blob of amorphous chakra.

Then, the tails unbound themselves and an orb of heavily-condensed chakra was released from what used to resemble Yagura's face. The orb hit the ceiling of the castle, continuing up through until it exploded magnificently in the sky, showering the area with bright, illuminating light.

The explosion radius of the Menacing Ball was massive. Thankfully, Yagura had detonated it far above the castle, though the sheer power of the attack pressed down on them. Anything within miles and miles would be sure to notice.

"**There**," their transformed leader said in satisfaction. "**That will be their notice. Meet the others near the mouth of Kumo's main river, which runs through their largest valley. I believe you should have passed it on your way here if you chose to take the quickest route.**"

With that, the Mizukage vanished into smoke. Zabuza let out a silent breath of relief at the sudden drop of overwhelming chakra.

"That... that was a clone?" Mangetsu squeaked.

"Did you think Mizukage-sama would come all the way here himself? Of course not," Zabuza replied. He wouldn't admit it, but he too was surprised at the clone's disappearance.

"I'm very glad I'm on Mizukage-sama's side," Mangetsu said with a light, nervous chuckle.

* * *

><p><strong>Kind of a filler chapter, but I wanted Naruto to think about examining his past and for Sasuke to vent. None of the Uchiha have the Mangekyou and obtaining the eyes is considered a curse among those who actually know what it is. Fugaku is spreading the news around since war is a time of death and loss. Though... Kakashi does technically have the Mangekyou, even if he can't use it.<br>**

**Furthermore, the Land of Snow needed to become a non-entity. Kusa will be fought once again next chapter.**

**Tell me what you think. Leave a review or shoot me a message if there are any errors, continuity or otherwise.**


	36. Snake's Chains

Chapter Thirty-six: Snake's Chains

(Near the Town of Senpuku)

A woman wearing a forehead protector signifying her allegiance to Kusagakure no Sato leapt from branch to branch, observing her surroundings each time she landed. There had been reports of movement in the area and she, along with a few of her fellow ninja, had been ordered to investigate.

She and her companions believed it was just the wildlife and that the scouts were being too paranoid. They had been almost unobstructed ever since they had ambushed Konoha's army and the the general train of thought among the Kusa- and Oto-nin was that Konoha was on the verge of decline.

The age of the great villages was over! It was time for a new era, an era in which the smaller villages could take control of that which they had been vehemently denied!

Many ninja from Kusagakure simply wanted to prove their dominance as well. There was nothing more gratifying to a ninja's pride than when they defeated a foe more powerful than they were.

Landing on a particularly thick branch, the kunoichi took a quick look around before sighing irritably. As usual, there was nothing out of the ordinary. In her opinion, they should've remained on lookout near Senpuku rather than waste their energy searching the forests for something that likely didn't exist.

"All right guys, let's cut it-"

The branch she was on suddenly grew thick, vine-like whips of wood that quickly ensnared her and her teammates. Their bodies and mouths were completely bound, preventing them from moving or uttering any words of surprise.

A man wearing the classic Konoha jounin outfit dropped down from the leaves above, staring at the captive Kusa-nin with dark, foreboding eyes. Folding his arms over his chest, he called out, "Sasuke!"

Stepping out and away from some bushes, Uchiha Sasuke leapt up to where his superior was standing in front of the entrapped kunoichi. With a contemptuous sneer, he stared directly at the kunoichi's face, making his own scarlet eyes meet green.

Immediately, the woman's futile thrashing ceased, and her expression dulled. Under the effects of Sasuke's Sharingan, she felt a compulsion to reveal everything she had been told, as well as the weaknesses of her village that she had picked up.

"How many ninja are occupying Senpuku?" Sasuke quietly asked, ignoring the heated stares his quarry's teammates were sending him.

"There are roughly twelve-hundred ninja occupying Senpuku," the woman flatly said, the wood covering her mouth moving away and allowing her to speak freely.

"What about search parties outside of Senpuku?" the Uchiha pressed.

"There are seven... search parties... out investigating reports of movement. Each search party contains five ninja."

"Are there any following behind your team?" the dark-eyed man- Yamato- questioned. When the woman didn't reply, Sasuke forcefully repeated the question.

"We were the ones tasked with inspecting this part of the forest."

Sighing lowly, Sasuke said, "What about traps? How fortified have your fellow ninja made Senpuku?"

"We have seized all stores of food and there are traps laid all around the town. There are no traps within," the kunoichi unwillingly admitted.

"According to what she's saying, it seems that Jiraiya-sama was correct," Yamato muttered. He raised his hands and went through a short series of seals, causing the vines to wrap each Kusa-nin's neck. Each ninja died from strangulation and the bodies were hidden in the bushes by the prehensile wood. "Come out, you two. We have enough confirmation to regroup with the others and begin our assault."

One blonde ninja and one with pink hair relinquished their hiding spots, joining their Captain and their friend on the branch the two were standing on. "Time to go, then? Time is of the essence and all that," Naruto quipped.

Haruno Sakura glanced at the bushes that obscured the now-dead Kusa-nin from view. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, she added, "This is really going to suck, isn't it? I don't like this at all."

"No one with a decent moral compass would," Yamato agreed. He took off first, followed by Sasuke, Sakura, and finally Naruto, who was bringing up the rear.

Running back to the meeting point was a silent affair, with the Konoha-nin focusing on their speed. Upon reaching the target area, Yamato created a wooden staff from his hands in order to prove his identity.

Another Konoha-nin with spiky hair and rimmed sunglasses joined them, giving his comrades a friendly nod. "Did you find them?" Yamashiro Aoba asked while pushing the glasses back up his nose.

"Mission successful, with a one-hundred percent fatality rate," Yamato confirmed. "Jiraiya-sama's information turned out to be true as well."

"Of course it was!" a new voice boisterously declared. Jiraiya was suddenly standing next to a visibly surprised Aoba and had a silly grin on his voice despite the situation they were all placed in. "Ryuuzetsu wouldn't lead me astray. She's just one of many I've managed to compel with my manly charm!"

His statement was backed up with a silly pose. Had there been a sun behind him to accentuate the act, everyone would've been dazzled for sure. At that moment, however, the Konoha-nin's level of respect for Jiraiya had plummeted... not that the perverted hermit noticed.

"Jiraiya-sensei..." Naruto moaned, palming his face and shaking his head despondently. "Do you _have_ to act like this?"

"'Course I do!" Jiraiya cheerfully replied. Then, he adopted a serious expression and continued, "Being optimistic helps you live longer. Besides, I think everyone could use a little joke to alleviate the tension, eh? War is stressful."

"No shit," Naruto grunted.

Humming for a moment, Jiraiya went through a few hand-seals and summoned a small toad. He quickly pulled out a notepad, scribbled something onto it, and tore the paper out before handing it over to the tiny summon. "Find the Sandaime Hokage and give this to him. We're ready," the hermit instructed.

With a salute that looked a bit too cute- in Sakura's vocalized opinion- the summon vanished.

"Should we start going for the town, or no?" Sasuke hesitantly asked.

"Yep!" The cheerful tone resumed. "We'll find the others as we advance. You all prepared? How about you, Aoba?"

"I am ready for battle, Jiraiya-sama. I'll be sure to let you know if any sufficiently powerful threats appear before we reach Senpuku," the man assured.

"Great!" Jiraiya said, giving Aoba two thumbs up.

Naruto had to stifle a sigh. "Jiraiya-sensei, am I going to be restricted for this? The Old Man never gave me any clarification and he ended up being too busy preparing to let me know."

"Given what he told me, using too much of the Kyuubi's chakra is bound to go badly at some point, but we can't really be picky at this point. It's either survive or die out here," Jiraiya said with a thoughtful frown. "If you're in danger and have no other way to escape, then I authorize the usage of the Kyuubi's chakra. Just... don't go overboard, okay? That's not something we need to deal with on top of the mess Kusagakure has become."

"Don't worry about that," the blonde replied with a roll of his eyes. "I wouldn't hurt any of my friends and I've got Sakura-chan and Sasuke to watch my back. Right guys?"

"Team Seven does tend to do that," Sasuke dryly remarked.

"We'll make sure nothing bad happens, Naruto," Sakura added. "We're all a kickass team, aren't we?"

The three chunin grinned at each other and turned to Yamato expectantly. Their captain cleared his throat, trying to hide his small smile. Kakashi certainly had raised a well-behaved team before he left them to their own devices.

"Let's go," Jiraiya said after a moment. He took off first, followed by Aoba, Yamato, and the three members of Team Seven.

Adrenaline began to pump through their bodies as the prospective battle loomed closer and closer. Other Konoha-nin eventually joined them, their faces a mixture of apprehension and determination. A few were familiar to Naruto and, with a start, he recognized the green eyes and messy brown hair of a fellow Konoha ninja who had previously fought against Kusa.

Sanban gave Naruto a smirk and a quick wink, though he didn't join the blonde. Next to the brown-haired chunin were his teammates, both of which acknowledged Naruto's presence as well. Even Niban, who was taking point, gave the blonde a professional nod.

Leaves fell from the trees, fluttering in the wind kicked up by the speed the ninja were traveling at. Some Konoha ninja were running on the grass and dirt below, easily keeping pace with the ones nearly gliding through the air.

Such a large conglomeration of ninja making their way towards a common destination was... surreal. It wasn't like a small, nimble strike force or like a lone seductress making her way towards her inebriated quarry.

Indeed, the entire thing felt like an insult to subtlety. Stealth was nearly being thrown to the side in favor of speed and overwhelming force.

Naruto knew why Konohagakure no Sato was flexing its muscles. Kusa's initial victory was a boot to Konoha's face and the greater, more powerful village wanted to end that stigma hanging over them. A quick defeat with sheer strength- aided by Taki- would show the nations how much power Konoha could dredge.

One should never underestimate the original hidden village, and Naruto could see Konoha proving exactly why that was so. Their method, however, was something that would've made Kakashi raise an eyebrow. He was apparently more skilled in subterfuge and assassination.

"Eight-hundred meters and decreasing!" Jiraiya bellowed. Ninja began to bring out weapons of all kinds and the glint of metal caught Naruto's eyes.

Chakra swirled around his wrists, causing his two clawed gauntlets to appear in a burst of smoke.

At last, after what seemed like an eternity, the southern end of Senpuku appeared in the distance before them. Jiraiya bit his thumb and quickly went through seals. Slamming his hands on the ground, the hermit summoned a large, magenta-colored toad wielding a sasumata.

Jumping on top of the massive, robed toad, Jiraiya yelled, "Let's go, Gamaken! Time to show these punks what they get when they mess with Konoha and her allies!"

"I'll try my best," the giant toad whispered, hoisting his weapon up. A powerful thrust of his long legs sent the toad- and Jiraiya- flying upwards, straight towards where the southern gate of Senpuku was standing.

Such an awe-inspiring sight caused the majority of the Konoha-nin to pick up their pace. Soon enough, the entirety of the Kusa army was going to be in deep trouble, especially with the others closing in on the village.

**VvVvV**

(With Mui)

The man leading Kusagakure no Sato's modest army was leaning over a table, reading a map filled with various markings and symbols. A steaming cup of tea was next to him and his expression indicated that he was currently in deep thought about how to proceed from where his village was.

Senpuku hadn't been difficult to capture and Mui had taken the main office of the village. The area was nice, but it wasn't too great, defensibly speaking. Many of the houses could easily be destroyed by stray techniques. A large supply of food was the only beneficial thing in Senpuku, aside from another foothold in Konoha's territory.

"Sir! We have trouble!" a Kusa-nin yelled after he burst through the door.

Not meeting his subordinate's eyes, Mui calmly asked, "What's going on? Have any of my soldiers returned with news of exactly what the scouts saw out there?"

Suddenly, the ground rumbled for a moment, and then both Mui and the ninja in front of him heard a loud, resounding _boom_. They went outside, where Mui scowled in anger and the Kusa-nin paled in fear at the sight of a toad that dwarfed any of the structures within Senpuku's limits.

It was systematically destroying anything that gave the Kusa-nin the higher ground or any other locational advantage. Any attacks thrown at it by Mui's shinobi were repulsed by the odd shield it was wearing that resembled an oversized sake saucer.

In addition, any Oto-nin attacking it were almost instantly crushed. Oto-nin in the vicinity were obsessively targeted and removed from the land of the living.

Several ninja appeared at Mui's side, awaiting further orders from their leader. A few looked nervous, while others appeared grim. Not wanting to grow complacent, Mui barked, "Prime explosive tags and release them at the toad's backside! You three, distract it with Katon techniques. As for the rest of you, figure out what's going on and take measures to stop it! Report to me as soon as possible!"

Mui growled to himself as his ninja vanished to carry out their assignments. The only dangerous person in the Elemental Nations who could summon toads was Jiraiya of the Sannin, whose allegiance was to Konoha. If such a giant toad was attacking Senpuku, then it was likely Jiraiya had set it upon them.

"Based on the silly face you're making, I'd say you've figured out a few things," a voice drawled, somehow sounding cheerful and antagonistic at the same time. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mui. I've heard a few things about you from Fugaku, but I'm pretty sure you won't want to hear most of it."

Taking advantage of the destructive distraction, several Konoha ninja entered the fray, throwing shuriken and kunai at the Kusa-nin attempting to dispel Gamaken. Though Mui's soldiers were fighting back, the presence of the summoned animal in addition to more enemy ninja entering the village was too much.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" Jiraiya mused, walking up to Mui and standing next to him without a care in the world.

Clenching his hands, Mui repressed a growl at Jiraiya's indirect insult. He may not have been as powerful as the hermit next to him, but he could still cause some damage. A deep, vibrating hum echoed from Mui's hand as a sword made up of fire sprouted.

Jiraiya casually glanced at the weapon from the corner of his eye. "Y'know, a smart man would back down when he has no other options. I'm not a particularly blood-thirsty guy. I'll let you surrender. Surely you don't wish to see too many of your subordinates die?"

Adopting a combative stance and backing away from the elite shinobi, Mui took a deep, shuddering breath and shot Jiraiya a heated glare. "We have more than enough firepower to drive you fools off," he lowly boasted.

"Do you now? Oto-nin aren't exactly anything special and your own soldiers are going to be overwhelmed. Allow me to again suggest that you surrender," Jiraiya deadpanned. He folded his arms over his chest, glowering darkly at Mui.

"I won't abandon my vengeance," Mui growled, raising his arm and pointing his blazing sword at his opponent. "My son is crying for justice! I cannot leave his screams be!"

Narrowing his eyes, Jiraiya replied, "What are you talking about?"

A swing of the fiery sword was Jiraiya's answer, forcing the older hermit to evade the frantic slashes. Each swing left behind a wave of heat that washed over Jiraiya's body, though it didn't slow the hermit down one bit.

When it became clear that Mui was not going to be able to land a hit on Jiraiya, he dispelled the sword of flame and went through a series of seals. His opponent waited patiently, not flustered or stressed in the slightest.

Finally, he expelled a vast amount of sharp blades of wind that, empowered by Mui's chakra, threatened to blow Jiraiya off of his feet. Jiraiya evaded the technique, but Mui recreated his signature sword of fire it placed it in front of his mouth, boosting his wind technique and sending out a blast of burning flames.

Smirking as Jiraiya was engulfed by the conflagration, Mui decided to watch his foe burn alive. Another tremor caused him to turn away and he let out a frustrated groan as the giant toad swatted away more of his ninja.

"Yep, Gamaken's a good man, err, toad. Strong as you want and more than capable enough to weather a few hits." Jiraiya was standing next to the Kusa leader, completely unruffled in appearance. The hot flames were still burning, but Jiraiya had been quick enough to perform a substitution and avoid all damage.

Jiraiya ducked, a sword of fire rushing above his head, and then sidestepped the vertical slice Mui followed it up with. A powerful palm strike knocked the wind out of the Kusa-nin's lungs and forced Mui to stagger back.

"You're not going to defeat me. Any backup you could possibly have is going to be occupied. Look around you, you imbecilic moron!" Jiraiya growled, gesturing to his surroundings. Konoha-nin were valiantly fighting their foes, defeating them with teamwork or with simple skill. Gamaken was still causing havoc and on the other side of town, smoke was beginning to rise from a few buildings. "Do you not see what's going on? You've lost! Whatever petty vengeance you wish for should be the least of your worries!"

Mui's rugged face contorted into an expression of fierce anger. His teeth clenched tightly and his posture was rigid. Jiraiya could practically feel the malice and hatred oozing from the man's body.

"I cannot. There will be justice, I swear it! Even if I have to die in the process, I will destroy Konoha for what they've done!" he ground out. Mui raised a glowing hand and screamed, "Katon: Heavenly Prison!"

He made to dash forward, but halted after the first step. The man's hand dropped and his body quivered before collapsing to the ground with a dull thump. Embedded in Mui's back were several kunai that had stealthily been thrown while he had been distracted.

Closing his eyes, Jiraiya shook his head and sighed. What short-sighted revenge Mui had would die here with him. Hopefully his village wouldn't try to do the same. Ryuuzetsu, having been one of his closer confidants, would be able to lead her village away from that path if the elders were carefully dealt with.

A white-haired woman with long bangs and a green bandana walked out from the shadows, gazing at Mui's body mournfully. "I wish it didn't have to come to this, Mui," she whispered.

"Killing him wasn't ultimately necessary," Jiraiya said, his eyes shifting towards the source of a large explosion in the distance. "You could've convinced him otherwise."

"Mui's vengeance would have eventually doomed us all," Ryuuzetsu said with a forlorn sigh. "Muku wouldn't have wanted to see his father act like this and he wouldn't have held any ill-will towards Konoha, either. It wasn't anyone's fault in particular, just an untimely accident."

"It seems that way," Jiraiya agreed.

Mui's son- Muku- had died in a skirmish between a squad of Konoha-nin and a few Kusa-nin over a noble's life. Essentially, it really had come down to business. One side wanted the noble dead and the other wanted him alive. In the crossfire, Muku ended up taking a fatal wound and perishing.

The Prison Master had never come to terms with his son's death, passing the blame almost entirely onto Konoha.

An explosion in the distance caused Jiraiya to sharply swivel his head to the side, and watched in quiet surprise as a large, dark-purple serpent rose from the smoke. "I hope he knows what he's doing," he quietly muttered.

"Go help out your ninja," Ryuuzsetsu urged. "The less death there is, the better the outlook will become."

"You don't need to tell me twice. Good luck," Jiraiya replied. He gave the giant snake in the distance one last concerned glance and disappeared with a burst of wind.

**VvVvV**

(Northwestern Edge of Senpuku)

Wearing pale robes with the thick, purple rope around his waist that the more powerful Oto-nin had, Orochimaru truly looked intimidating on top of the huge serpent known as Manda. Eyes that glowed yellow even in the light coupled with the man's unnaturally snake-like features only accentuated the fear Orochimaru could summon.

Lower-level ninja had vacated the immediate premises, almost all of which realized what was going down. Had they remained, they would've become caught up in the fighting and would've definitely lost their lives.

One lone figure stood facing off against the giant snake and its summoner. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, was one of very few who could stand Orochimaru's presence without losing confidence.

Fully adorned in battle-armor, the Hokage grimly stared back at his lost student. Both of the elite ninja had comparable strength, though one was dulled with age and the other had, in all likelihood, accrued additional abilities.

Hiruzen had no doubts about how their fight was going to go. Something needed to be done about Orochimaru eventually and since he had appeared, the Hokage was going to take his chances. There was no use in allowing the slippery ninja to remain free.

"Well, _Sarutobi_-sensei? Are you going to move those aging bones of yours?" Orochimaru taunted from his perch on Manda's wide head.

"I see your insolence hasn't changed," Hiruzen muttered. He tightened his hold on Enma, who had already transformed into the fabled adamantine staff.

"Don't take him lightly, Hiruzen," Enma rumbled.

Smiling slightly, the Hokage replied, "Let's deal with this once and for all, old friend."

Manda _roared_- for the sound it emitted could not be called anything less- and dove forward, a madly grinning Orochimaru secured to the head with chakra. Hiruzen narrowly avoided the dangerous headbutt and swung his staff. It extended to dozens of times its original length and successfully smashed into Manda's head.

With the weapon retracting just as quickly, the Sandaime Hokage leapt forward as Manda was stunned, intent on intercepting Orochimaru. The snake-like ninja had moved from his summon's head to more stable ground and was moving his hands through seals much quicker than Hiruzen remembered.

"Katon: Great Fire Destruction!" Orochimaru gleefully intoned. He exhaled a thin stream of fire that forced the Hokage to alter his path. A nearby house exploded into fiery cinders when the stream of fire made contact with it and a wave of heat rolled off of the charred ruins.

Retrieving, unfolding, and throwing a fuma shuriken, Hiruzen made a hand-seal with one arm raised and growled, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!" A single fuma shuriken turned into hundreds, becoming a veritable wall of steel that threatened to completely dismember Orochimaru.

By then, however, Manda had recovered, and used its wide head and tough scales to shield Orochimaru from injury. Hiruzen briefly wondered how his former student had convinced the giant snake to work with him. From what Jiraiya had told him, Manda was extremely temperamental and was prone to asking for payment of a certain sort before doing anything productive for his summoner.

"Is that all, sensei?" Orochimaru jibed, appearing on top of Manda's head once again. "Surely you haven't been letting that dear body of yours go to waste."

Pointing the end of the adamantine staff at Manda, Hiruzen said, "You should know not to underestimate me, Orochimaru."

The staff extended faster than Manda could react and slammed right into the snake's neck. Orochimaru was forced to jump off of his accomplice as Enma extended even further, shoving Manda far away from the battlefield and into the distance, where it signaled its departure with an explosion of smoke.

"I punched a hole into Manda's throat," Enma murmured. "He won't be returning any time soon. Now, focus on Orochimaru!"

A strip of earth was torn off of the ground and sent flying at the Hokage. Despite Hiruzen's advanced age, his creaky bones were more than capable of navigating the series of large rocks aiming to crush him into oblivion.

"I'm disappointed," Hiruzen yelled, smirking at Orochimaru's frown. The Hokage slammed his own hands into the ground with a grunt of exertion, causing soil to turn into a muddy mess that surged forward.

The Hokage expected Orochimaru to use a Raiton technique to counter his own Doton jutsu, and the traitorous ninja did just that. A wave of sickly-yellow electricity arced through the mud, easily cutting through the wide swath of sticky slush.

Chuckling quietly, the Hokage stamped the solid ground with his foot, causing an earthen dragon to rise out of the mud and take the brunt of the Raiton jutsu. It didn't fall apart, a testament towards Hiruzen's skill, and instead opened its maw. Glowing eyes were fixed on Orochimaru's form and the dragon spat out several large fireballs.

"I'm not finished yet!" the Hokage bellowed when he saw Orochimaru begin to move. While holding a hand-seal with one hand, Hiruzen swung his staff, causing rivulets of wind to bypass the towering dragon and boost the power of its fiery attacks.

Then he sank to a knee, panting lightly. "Are you all right, Hiruzen? You aren't as powerful and agile as you once were, you know," Enma murmured, his eye appearing on the side of the staff nearest to Konoha's leader.

"Like you said, I can't afford to take it easy on him." Several fireballs began to explode as they made contact with the ground and it seemed as if Orochimaru was going to evade them all. One final volley proved too much for the snake to deal with however and Orochimaru was finally hit as the dragon began to crumble.

After rising to his feet, the Hokage slowly made his way towards the charred battlefield. A small, smoking crater was all that remained of where Orochimaru had been standing.

Despite the strength of the collaborative technique he had used, Hiruzen wasn't going to accept Orochimaru having been defeated by an attack like that. The traitorous ninja was far too slippery and likely had more tricks up his sleeves.

Finally, when the smoke began to clear, Hiruzen was greeted with a gruesome sight. "That's... that's not possible," the Hokage whispered, eyes widening in disbelief.

Thick, sturdy white bone had erupted from all over Orochimaru's body, shielding him from all harm. The bone receded back into the man's skin, leaving behind dozens of perforations that were clearly visible due to the ruined state of Orochimaru's robes.

No blood was leaking from the self-inflicted wounds either, despite how lethal the sight appeared to be.

Orochimaru rubbed a shoulder and glared back at the Hokage. "You aren't going to be able to stop me here, sensei, no matter what techniques you dredge up from that ancient brain of yours," he stated.

"What manner of monster are you?" Hiruzen asked in reply. "What did you _do_ to yourself? The Kaguya Clan is dead and gone. Is this what you've been doing all these years, to both yourself and to your shinobi?"

"I am no more a monster than you are," Orochimaru hissed. He pointed a pale finger at his former teacher. "Others may see my ninja and their bodies as grotesque, but I say they- we- are simply the next level of human evolution. After the greater villages are crushed, we will show that we are above these petty fronts of power."

"He always did have a silver tongue," Enma muttered.

"If that is what you believe, then so be it," Hiruzen demurred, allowing Enma to revert to his animalistic form. "I doubt that is your true goal, but your supposed intentions cause more harm than anything else. Suiton: Rising Water Slicer!"

Gallons of rushing water were spewed from Hiruzen's mouth, the force of which tore through the earth. Despite its speed and power, Orochimaru almost casually avoided the technique by skipping to the side, pulling out a gleaming sword from his gaping jaws in the process.

After Hiruzen ceased the attack, Enma quickly leaned down and touched the trail of water. Electricity sparked from the great ape's fingers, amplifying the Raiton technique he had used.

In response, Orochimaru coated his sword- the legendary Kusanagi, Hiruzen noted- with wind before throwing it like a spear. It easily nullified Enma's amplified jutsu and the Hokage was forced to use the reformed adamantine staff to bat the flying blade aside.

Then, the wizened leader of Konoha found an angry Orochimaru in front of him, sharp white bones clenched in his pale hands. What followed was a furious tradeoff of blows, each fighter attempting to debilitate the other.

Whereas the traitor had superior agility coupled with a variety of weapons sprouting from all over his body, Hiruzen had a staff that lengthened at will, allowing him to pull off surprisingly effective combinations. It wasn't necessarily enough to offset Orochimaru's advantage, but Enma pulled his own weight as well. Every now and then, furry arms would protrude from the body of the adamantine staff, compromising the snake-like man's stabs and slashes.

Finally, Orochimaru left himself open, allowing Hiruzen to land a crushing strike on his student's ribcage. The traitor was thrown to the ground, the sharpened bones he had been holding uselessly clattering away.

Hiruzen's eyes shifted about, uncaring of Orochimaru's groans. When it seemed as if the one in front of him was the real deal, the Hokage cautiously walked over. He was surprised that there hadn't been any mud clones or advanced substitutions pulled out on him- Orochimaru had loved to use such things back when the snake-like man was still a part of Konoha's forces.

"This ends now," the Hokage rumbled as he raised his weapon. Cloaked in scuffed, damaged battle-armor, one could have easily compared Konoha's leader to an angry god, and his fiery eyes only highlighted his appearance.

A subtle twitching of Orochimaru's fingers never caught Hiruzen's attention. The Kusanagi floated up from where it was lying, shivering in midair before zooming straight at the Hokage's backside.

Orochimaru grinned, white fangs gleaming in the sunlight.

Hiruzen whipped around, slamming his staff into the blade, sending it away once more. Then he flinched with a jolt, glancing down at his chest where a thick, razor-sharp bone was sticking out.

"Oh, sensei, sensei... you didn't think it would be that easy, would you? A Transformation wasn't even necessary," the traitor drawled.

Enma roared and attempted to attack Orochimaru, though the ape was forced to dispel when the traitor planted a contract seal on the summon's chest.

"Y-You..." Hiruzen coughed, blood dribbling down from his lips.

"This is the end," Orochimaru gravely intoned.

The dying Hokage took a shaky step forward, unwilling to fall to his knees in front of his enemy. "The Will of Fire will never fade," Hiruzen stated, his voice beginning to break. "You've lost!"

"Until the very end, sensei? Everything will be dealt with, especially those troublesome jinchuriki," Orochimaru hissed. "I already know about Takigakure thanks to Hisame and those ninja won't be able to do anything once Utakata is finished here. He and I fight for a greater cause. Our passion fuels our ambition! It is what makes me so sure that your forces will be destroyed just as you have been defeated.

"I'll let you in on a little secret though," Orochimaru murmured, pulling out another sharp blade from his ribcage. "You're not long for this world, anyway. This continent will belong to me. I _am_ the embodiment of perfection. Mortality's claws no longer dig into my body. Everything will be mine, no matter how this silly little war turns out. Oh, and look."

Hiruzen slowly gazed at where Orochimaru was gesturing. A thin beam of dark chakra was tearing into the sky, carving through clouds and releasing an unsettling feeling throughout the battlefield.

"Have fun with the aftermath."

**VvVvV**

(With Naruto)

Tendrils of water grabbed a fleeing Kusa-nin, delivering enough electricity to knock the ninja out. Another Kusa-nin glared at the kunoichi who had incapacitated his comrade and proceeded to throw several kunai with explosive tags trailing behind them.

Rather than shy away from the incoming kunai, Sakura commanded the five water whips connected to her right hand to slap the throwing knives out of the way. Disregarding the explosions around her, the pink-haired kunoichi caught the fleeing Kusa ninja and zapped him into unconsciousness.

She breathed a sigh of relief and gave her surroundings a once-over in case any other enemies were lying in wait.

In fact, Sakura missed a single Kusa-nin who had been in hiding. This ninja leapt from the shadows, aiming for the kunoichi's back. However, his stealthy attack was stopped by a burst of wind that sent the Kusa-nin flying into a wall.

Naruto made sure his opponent was out cold before turning his eyes to the distance, where a gigantic snake was staring down at something too minuscule to see. Its presence was enough to cause Team Seven- as well as Team Eight, who was nearby- to pause in shock.

"I hope they can handle that thing," the jinchuriki hesitantly said.

"That summon's fucking _huge_," Sasuke murmured.

"We should focus more on our own priorities," Shino droned. His bugs were steadily leaving the unresponsive body of a Kusa-nin.

Several houses were destroyed and quite a bit of the loamy soil inside of the village had been overturned by various Doton techniques. Thankfully, most of the civilians had already chosen to move elsewhere when Kusa's army had taken over. Senpuku would definitely not to be a good place to live in once the battle was concluded.

"Are there any other shinobi in the area?" Kiba gruffly asked. Dirt and grime dotted his body, making him look like he'd been rolling around on the ground much like the animals his clan worked alongside. Akamaru sniffed the air experimentally and whined in response.

"I don''t see anything, but I'll keep my eyes open," Hinata lowly said. Engorged veins surrounding her pale eyes indicated her Byakugan was active.

"We should get moving, then," Naruto announced. "Captain Yamato already left to help the others. We can do the same. I'll leave some clones behind to keep this place on lockdown." The blonde raised a hand, forming a half-ram and creating several shadow clones.

While Team Eight was impressed at how efficiently the solid clones were created, the other members of Team Seven treated it as an everyday occurrence. Technically, it _had_ been an everyday occurrence back when Team Seven still trained with each other- Naruto really had used the clones that often.

Each of the clones vanished with a Body Flicker, choosing out-of-the-way hiding spots and vantage points. Should too many foreign ninja begin to hover around the place, the blonde clones would strike and remove them.

Team Seven and Eight left after the clones were situated. Cries and shouts were heard a few houses away, so they opted to head there first. It didn't necessarily mean their comrades needed help, but it was a good idea to make sure they were all doing all right.

Six ninja stopped and watched as a large explosion of dirt was kicked up at the other end of Senpuku. Something had forced the giant, purple serpent in the distance out of the town. Based on the large amount of smoke shrouding its body, the Konoha-nin assumed it had been forcibly dispelled.

Sasuke furrowed his brow. "Who the hell has enough strength to shove a snake that big that far away?"

"H-Hokage-sama is fighting someone..." Hinata whispered. Her eyes widened and she stumbled back. "E-Everyone, get away!"

Hinata's words were frantic and her friends were wise to heed them. They all scattered, making sure to get far away from their former positions. The ground beneath their feet rumbled and burst upwards, revealing a giant, brown mole with wicked claws.

Although Sasuke clenched his fists at the sight of the animal, Naruto found himself gaping at the person who was nonchalantly brushing debris off of his shoulder. The blonde frowned and said, "Y'know, I feel like I shouldn't be surprised, all things considered."

"Well, you refused what you were offered," Utakata replied. The enemy jinchuriki stretched his body, loosening his muscles from atop the still mole. "Now, I'm afraid you'll have to face the consequences of your decision. It's really a shame, but that's the way it works."

"It doesn't have to be," Naruto rebutted. "We don't have to fight!"

Utakata raised an eyebrow. "Don't be so naïve, Naruto. Ignoring the obvious isn't something I would expect from a fellow jinchuriki."

"Ignoring Orochimaru's atrocities isn't something I'd expect either! The guy's committed hideous crimes! How can you ally yourself with a man like him?" The blonde heatedly glared at Utakata, who had finished stretching and was patiently listening on top of the animal. "You say that the great villages will only ever treat jinchuriki as a means to an end, but I've seen proof that that's different. Hell, I'm _living_ proof that that's different!"

"How can _you_ be so sure you're not being led on? Every ninja village is headed by a leader whose goal is to persuade the village's people to fight for it. It's a plethora of lies and propaganda, built to convince sheep to act as shields. Each individual shinobi and kunoichi doesn't matter. In the end, the village is above all else."

Utakata shook his head, knowing that the members of Team Eight were behind him. "What's the point of fighting for a village like that? Why should a ninja fruitlessly sacrifice their life for a village that doesn't give a damn about them? If a ninja ends up failing, that's their end. There is nothing after. At least Orochimaru is different. He has taken risks alongside the rest of us, demonstrating that not even he is exempt. That's why I and the rest of my comrades follow him. He'll change the way the villages function so our lives can't be cast away like stray tools."

"Then I guess we're at an impasse... again," Naruto declared. He raised his claws and adjusted his stance, noticing that his friends were mirroring him. "Honestly, I'd rather not fight you. Jinchuriki like you and I shouldn't have to raise arms against each other. I can't just let you run around and hurt my friends and comrades though. Not a chance in hell am I letting that continue."

"Very well," Utakata said with a nod. "I can't allow you to act against Orochimaru, either. He gave me a mission, one that he expects me to carry out to the best of my ability, and believe me, I will do so."

Utakata almost casually pulled out a shiny bubble blower right as Naruto, Sasuke, and Kiba- along with Akamaru- dashed at him. Hinata watched attentively, waiting for a chance to use her clan's taijutsu style, and Shino allowed swarms of kikaichu beetles to fly out of his sleeves.

The rest of the Konoha-nin had expected the mole to attack. Instead, it vanished in a plume of smoke, causing their foe to drop to the ground and avoid their too-high strikes.

Utakata quickly rolled to the side, avoiding a series of watery whips that threatened to entangle him. Hinata rushed to engage him, but he simply used his metallic bubble blower to fend off her Gentle Fist strikes. When Hinata hesitated in surprise, the Oto-nin kicked her away and turned to address the swarm of bugs Shino had sent at him.

Raising the bubble blower to his lips, Utakata created dozens of the spherical pockets of air, each of which exploded upon making contact with a group of insects. In order to protect his swarm, Shino recalled them.

"Careful!" Naruto called out as he clapped his hands together with a dull clang. "Those bubbles can become pretty powerful if he needs them to be!"

"Noted," Sasuke grunted. His hand swiftly went through a series of hand-seals in preparation for a more powerful technique. When he finished, Sasuke expelled a continuous wave of bright flame that was bolstered by a Wind Release jutsu from Naruto.

Now, instead of a wide wave of broiling hot fire, Utakata had a funnel of swirling heat headed towards him. Rotating wind around the flames kept it from going out of control and its focused power was enough to cause the other Konoha-nin to shrink away from the heat it was emitting.

Despite the ferocity of the violent attack, Utakata seemed as cool and collected as ever. After booting Sakura away, he calmly- albeit swiftly- bit his thumb, went through the seals for a summoning technique, and slammed his palms on the ground while saying, "Kuchiyose: Rashomon!"

Black, sealing characters spread throughout the soil, and a red, solid gate sporting a fearsome, demonic face burst up from the ground. The collaborative attack Naruto and Sasuke had used impacted the gate fiercely. Although the wind funnel stopped the flames from being diverted, the sturdy defensive wall handily obstructed their combined techniques.

Utakata suddenly jumped up, displaying incredibly acrobatic agility as he again avoided Sakura's watery whips. His summon vanished when he left its vicinity, allowing Naruto and Sasuke to end their respective jutsu and refocus on the main target.

"Eight Trigrams Air Wall Palm!" Hinata cried, thrusting her palms at their foe.

"Tch," Utakata muttered. He formed a single hand-seal, causing a protective bubble to appear around his body. Sakura's whips and the wall of condensed chakra Hinata had shot bounced harmlessly off of the protective sphere. "This is getting annoying. The rest of you are getting in my way," the jinchuriki said upon landing.

With six determined ninja after him, Utakata decided not to hold back. Orochimaru's will needed to be carried out, especially since Naruto wasn't willing to join them. Based on what Utakata's leader had told him, Takigakure's jinchuriki probably wouldn't be willing to do so either if Hisame's information was correct.

Every single Konoha ninja was thrown back when Utakata's skin darkened and exploded. An unnatural wind kicked up, forcing dust and debris into the air, and a beam of blood-red light shot up into the sky.

Two glowing, white eyes peered through the dust cloud and locked onto another jinchuriki who was just getting up from the ground. The chance to complete the mission was clearly present and Utakata, jinchuriki of the Rokubi, took it.

He hadn't expected Sasuke to intercept him. Sasuke had shoved Naruto aside, away from the transformed Oto-nin's furious charge.

Regardless of his bewilderment, Utakata shoved a hand into Sasuke's chest and cast the body away, turning back to his quarry when Naruto let out a howl of rage. The others seemed to back away in fright, although the pink-haired kunoichi did her best to get the Uchiha's body away.

A second beam of scarlet, luminous light lit up the area, and another jinchuriki harnessed a Tailed Beast's powers. However, this one was clearly mindless in his rage, unable to think beyond his desire to utterly eviscerate the one who had caused him pain and grief.

Utakata smiled, the expression ill-suited for the amorphous, chakra-coated _thing_ he had become. "Are you still awake?" the ninja asked, his voice only slightly distorted.

The four tails of pure, malevolent chakra behind Naruto's swayed rhythmically, imitating some of the motions of the six tails behind Utakata. Naruto roared loudly, causing the dark feeling wafting off of him to intensify.

Both jinchuriki, covered with noxious chakra, observed one another. Utakata's- no, the Rokubi's- chakra was bluer in color than the Kyuubi's, but was still disgusting to behold to anyone who wasn't used to a Biju's overwhelming presence.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried. Her attempts to get closer were met by buffeting winds that kept her away from the two dangerous beings.

Kiba and Shino held her back- they didn't want their teammate to get hit by anything should the two jinchuriki lash out. Their prehensile tails weren't being used at the moment, though that could change at any moment.

"Come at me!" Utakata growled, springing forward with enough force to shatter the earth around him.

Naruto dumbly roared and rushed to meet Utakata head-on, too blinded by rage to think about anything other than vengeful retribution.

They met each other midway. There was no explosion, no tangle of flailing limbs, and definitely no blood. Instead, Utakata shoved his glowing hands into Naruto's chest, too skilled to falter in the face of a mindless beast.

Then, the two froze, still as statues as the wind around them abruptly died down.

**VvVvV**

(Inside the Seal)

"**_Wake up you witless buffoon! Wake up!_**"

The Kyuubi huffed in annoyance. In front of the great beast, floating peacefully in thick, murky water, was its container. Naruto's eyes were open, staring at the darkness above yet unseeing at the same time.

For all intents and purposes, Naruto was catatonic.

"Blasted Uchiha," the Kyuubi growled. Were it not for the seal it could've attempted to awaken the brat. Then again, if not for the seal it wouldn't have ever been imprisoned.

That thought process had changed relatively recently. It wasn't the time to be thinking of such things, anyway. A foreign presence was shuffling through the hallways that served as the prelude to the massive gate holding the Kyuubi back.

"**_Naruto! Awaken!_**" The entire cell shook from the reverberations the fox's great roar had caused. Still, the noise fell on deaf ears.

"Loud, aren't you?"

"You are not welcome here, Rokubi jinchuriki," the beast rumbled, glaring at Utakata with one of its massive, bloodshot eyes. "Get out before I destroy you."

Whole, healthy, and hale, Utakata looked as he had before drawing on his Tailed Beast's enormous reserves of chakra. He regarded the giant beast in front of him, uncaring of its repeated threats and bloody promises.

Then, he turned his attention to the blonde lying on the water.

"Well now, this is interesting, isn't it?" Utakata drawled. He sighed irritably when the fox let out another loud roar and rubbed the side of his head. "This noise going to give me a headache. Can you please calm down? This prison of yours can't be too comfortable."

The former Kiri-nin hoped that the Kyuubi, greatest of the nine Tailed Beasts, would be more amenable if its freedom was offered. That was Utakata's ultimate goal, given to him from Orochimaru.

If he could release the Kyuubi from Naruto's body, then the fox would hopefully create enough destruction to severely cripple Konoha and Taki. Depriving Konoha of its weapon was just a bonus, one that could be taken advantage of should Orochimaru wish to create a jinchuriki of his own.

Such a thing would be beautiful. A jinchuriki growing up in a place he or she could actually call home, without the festering hatred that was usually aimed at them would prove his point. The great villages were a relic of the past that needed to be extinguished.

If only Naruto had seen the truth. All of this wouldn't have been necessary and Utakata's fellow demon container would've had a chance to make others see him for who he truly was. Naruto's efforts would then have been worth something.

Utakata gave the comatose Naruto another glance and then briskly walked up to the giant bars that kept the Kyuubi from wreaking havoc on the outside world. Pointing to the slip of paper in the middle of the gate, the Oto-nin said, "So, that's the seal up there?"

The Kyuubi narrowed its eyes, but said nothing in response. Its behavior confused Utakata- he was unwilling to speculate that Naruto might have earned the beast's goodwill. Nonetheless, the Rokubi jinchuriki created a bubble around him that slowly rose closer and closer to the slip of paper representing Naruto's seal.

"What a complex seal," Utakata murmured. Thankfully, while most seals were difficult to forcefully open, seals that held back Biju were not. They were different. A Tailed Beast's chakra could weaken the seal to the point where it wouldn't operate efficiently, making it a simply matter to force it open.

That went doubly so since Utakata was in front of the actual seal itself, situated within Naruto's mind.

The bubble surrounding Utakata clung closer to his body and his arm went through the shiny sphere entirely. Reaching up for a corner of the paper, Utakata never noticed the malicious glint in the Kyuubi's eyes.

Silvery-blue chains shot out from the shadows clinging to the edges of the room, too fast for Utakata to counter. In scarcely a second the Rokubi jinchuriki was wrapped up, his protective barrier all but useless against the glowing metal.

"What?" Utakata hissed, unsuccessfully attempting to free himself. "What is this, some sort of automatic defense?"

"You could say that," the Kyuubi rumbled, an intimidating facsimile of a grin splitting its face. "Like I said, you are not welcome here, foreigner. You will not release me from my prison this day, and she has made sure of that."

Utakata glared at the chains that were tightly wrapped around him, preventing him from moving his arms or legs. "What are you talking about?" the former Kiri-nin bit out.

A stray chain with a blunted tip slithered through the air over to the unmoving Naruto and tapped him on his nose. The chain seemed to hover over Naruto for a moment, at least until he began to stir from whatever it had done.

"Ugh..." Naruto groaned, lifting the upper half of his body and rubbing his eyes with both of his hands. "What... what the hell happened? Where am I?" he added when he noticed he was standing in knee-deep, dirty water.

The surrounding area was dimly lit, but what caught Naruto's attention was the jangling of chains. He looked towards the source of the sound and noticed with some shock that Utakata was restrained by glowing chakra chains.

"Are you finally awake?" the Kyuubi growled, shifting its massive eyes from the flailing Utakata to the awakened Naruto. "Next time, control your emotions. Had he succeeded in removing the seal..." The fox trailed off, and Naruto had more than enough imagination to visualize what would've happened.

Naruto blanched, and then righteous fury took over his thoughts. The room's water became more turbulent, and bits of the Kyuubi's chakra began to drift away from the giant being.

"_**Stop**_!" the Kyuubi roared. "You are unconsciously drawing on my power! Do you wish to continue relinquishing control of yourself? Do you wish to allow your rage to dictate your actions? The others are still nearby!"

Clenching his fists tightly, Naruto closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shook his head. His anger would not be banished so easily. It, along with sadness, despair, and hatred, consumed him, and Naruto felt that he'd be completely justified in killing the chained jinchuriki in front of the Kyuubi's cell.

"I... I..." Again, Naruto inhaled deeply. His body shuddered, wracked with shivers of what had happened in the outside world. One of his first friends had been so callously attacked, so casually dispatched and thrown aside once his life had been-

No. Sasuke couldn't be dead. Naruto wouldn't accept that. He promised himself that none of his friends would ever end up in such a state. A good Hokage wouldn't allow that to happen. The event didn't happen. Sasuke was fine.

Jangling metal, clear and peaceful, distracted the blonde host from his tumultuous, roiling emotions. His eyes, flickering between fiery red and subdued blue, locked onto the mass of shimmering chains that kept Utakata entrapped.

Utakata's body had turned into a state resembling a sort of vapor. Parts of his limbs were evaporating away, appearing like a blend between a liquid and a gas. Apparently, the process was not painful, for the Rokubi jinchuriki was content to glower at both Naruto and the great Biju next to him in turn.

Naruto wanted to say something, but his mouth felt dry and his throat constricted. Utakata hadn't uttered a word after his blonde foe retained control of himself, and Naruto was content to watch his fellow jinchuriki fade away into nothingness.

The mass of chains, however, remained. Naruto was unable to see where they originated from and gazed upon them with more than a bit of confusion in his eyes.

Which was good, in the Kyuubi's opinion. The distraction helped calm his tempestuous emotions and cool his anger.

Then, the chains uncoiled. They slowly swam over to Naruto, who was bewildered by their presence. These chakra chains were not of his creation. His will wasn't exerted over them, and they definitely weren't from the Kyuubi.

"Now is unwise," the Kyuubi rumbled as one of the chains- the one with a blunted tip- made to touch Naruto's nose. It reared back for a moment- was it _hesitating_?- but continued regardless. The fox uttered a few words in annoyance and then resigned itself to watching what was unfolding in front of it.

The cold- no, _warm_, _reassuring_- chain of chakra touched Naruto's nose, and the blonde jinchuriki watched in awe as his surroundings changed, shifting from dark and ominous to bright and cheery.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't usually leave cliff-hangers, so sorry about that in advance. This felt like a decent place to stop.<strong>

**I quite like some of the dialogue I've come up with, but that's just me. I find that those fighting scenes aren't particularly impressive, though. What do you guys think? Yay or nay?**

**As for Sasuke, I was debating on choosing Hinata- just for that dead love confession thing, but then I realized that was a bit too cliché and overdone. Sasuke being the dead best friend was, I felt, the better choice.**

**As always, leave a review/pm if you spot any errors, continuity or otherwise. Please tell me what you think!**


	37. Reminiscence

Chapter Thirty-seven: Reminiscence

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and took stock of his surroundings. A bright light shined gold upon the area, which radiated a reassuring warmth. It couldn't have been more different from the shared realm the blonde had been within when he'd conversed with his fellow jinchuriki and the other Tailed Beasts.

Back then, there had been shadows all around them, with poor lighting only accentuating their dark effects. Perhaps the difference could be accounted for by the presence of a single Tailed Beast?

No, that was doubtful. The seal wasn't present and Naruto couldn't detect the Kyuubi's unique... _aura_... anywhere in the vicinity.

"Hey, Kyuubi! Are you there, furball?" Naruto called out. The expanse of gold must have been similar to a flat plain, for his voice didn't echo at all.

He did receive a response, however. A feminine giggle from behind informed Naruto that he wasn't entirely alone and he whirled around, falling into a defensive stance as a precaution. The Kyuubi definitely did not have a feminine voice.

"You're a bit jumpy, aren't you?" the person joked.

Naruto slowly relaxed upon seeing the newcomer, who had the most mesmerizing red hair he had ever seen. In fact, the woman herself was extremely familiar in her entirety. Tresses that red, skin that pale, and an inviting, pleasing smile reminded Naruto of a certain photograph.

There was no way the being in front of him was who he thought she was. She wasn't supposed to be alive, breathing as calmly as she was!

Rather than do what his heart ached to do, Naruto clenched his hands and asked, "Who are you?"

The woman's smile widened and she chuckled lightly. "What, don't you recognize me? I'm sure Ero-sennin or the Old Man would've said something by now." She lowered her arms and continued to smile, her eyes shining with warm adoration. "Actually, I think they already have. Kakashi-kun already did, didn't he?"

Although his posture had relaxed, Naruto's eyes remained wary. Such a sight could not be true. The image he was being graced by had to have been a mirage or an illusion of some sort. Had Utakata placed him under some sort of advanced genjutsu?

That begged the question of how Naruto's enemy jinchuriki knew the identity of his parents though, and the blonde doubted the Sandaime Hokage had been liberal with that information. A more plausible explanation was that Orochimaru had spies who had ferreted out the truth.

"Whatever you're doing, Utakata, I'm not falling for it!" Naruto cried. He placed his hands together and yelled out, "Release!"

Nothing happened. The pulse of chakra Naruto had generated did nothing. The expanse around him didn't even ripple. In contrast, it seemed to glitter in amusement much like the woman's eyes.

Finally, Naruto's stony expression cracked, and his heart wrenched painfully. "This... this is real?" he whispered disbelievingly, taking an involuntary step forward.

"It's been almost sixteen years since I've laid eyes on you, ya know?" the woman said, gazing at him with gentle eyes and smiling invitingly. "The last time I saw you, you were so small!"

And then Naruto pushed himself towards the woman with all of the strength he could muster, all reservations and restraint vanishing. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around his mother, the one he had never known nor felt the loving embrace of.

His mother returned his affections, feeling much like he was at that very moment. She allowed him a few seconds to dry his tears when he pulled away, hastily wiping at her own eyes as well.

Naruto sniffed one final time and then gleefully laughed, sounding much like a child Uzumaki Kushina should have been alive to raise. "I... I can't believe this, you know? This is like... like... a dream come true!" the blonde excitedly exclaimed.

"Well, I _was_ a sealing expert back in the day," Kushina boasted. Her smile fell a little at her proclamation and she frowned, biting her lip in worry.

"Eh? What's wrong... mom?" Naruto's countenance seemed to grow more and more pleased. "Is there anything wrong, mom?"

Kushina's eyes were suddenly downcast and she cleared her throat nervously. "I suppose I should be apologizing to you, Naruto. As much as your father begged me to do so, I can't lie to my only child."

"I don't get it," the blonde replied, tilting his head in a way Kushina considered adorable.

Still not meeting her son's eyes, the redhead said, "Don't you know who sealed the Kyuubi into your body?"

"Dad did, didn't he?"

Kushina raised her head in surprise, furrowing her brow at Naruto's statement. "No, that's actually not true. Your father sealed the Kyuubi away, yes, but not all of it. Minato took half of the Kyuubi's chakra with him to his grave and left you with the remaining half. That remaining half was sealed by me," she explained.

"Uh..." Naruto blinked and scratched his head, his eyes squinting thoughtfully. "Everyone was told that dad was the one who stopped the Kyuubi and the one who sealed the furball into my gut..."

"I guess the truth of what happened that night was never unraveled," Kushina gravely remarked. An apologetic smile formed upon her lips, and she added, "For what little it's worth, I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm sorry for sealing the Kyuubi into you and leaving you all alone. I hope that, in time, you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Naruto shook his head at her and smiled wryly. "I forgave you and dad a while ago. I'm honestly just happy about... _this._" The blonde gestured towards Kushina and himself. "How did you do this? How is this possible? It really is like a dream come true."

Instead of answering Naruto's question, Kushina leaned forward and embraced her son again. How lucky she was to have such a forgiving, earnest child! Part of her was immensely amazed at how Naruto had turned out. Whatever glimpses she had gleaned from Naruto's life had shown her how difficult a time he had had growing up.

After dabbing at her eyes again, Kushina replied, "Like I've mentioned, I was a sealing expert. Did you know I taught your father a thing or two at sealing? No one ever knew the great Yondaime Hokage's wife was a fair bit better than him at the sealing arts!"

Unable to help himself, Naruto giggled. He loved everything about his mother even more now that he was speaking to her in person. All of her physical traits were more defined and her voice, her touch, her _care_ were many times better than he had imagined them. Truly, a mother's touch was something amazing, something he had always yearned to feel.

"Ehehe... I hope I inherited something like that from you," Naruto said. "Jiraiya-sensei's been teaching me seals. Progress is kinda slow." He paused and then grinned. "Oh, oh! I actually inherited your chakra chains!" The blonde pumped his fist.

"I wish I could've taught you a bit about seals... but you got my chakra chains?" Kushina asked. "You and I are definitely one of a kind, then! I really should've been there to teach you about those, though..." She trailed off and gave her only child a forlorn look. He waved her off, saying that he was happy enough meeting her in person.

"Anyway, this meeting was set to occur if and only if your seal was compromised. It was triggered when that young man tried to unleash the Kyuubi. Your father wanted to appear in my place so that he could take all of the blame for what had happened. We were both already on death's door at the time and I couldn't allow him to condemn himself to you.

"He really did want to meet you, Naruto. I'm sure Minato would have been proud of the man you've become, of all that you've done for Konoha and for those you hold close to your heart," Kushina continued.

"Stop it, mom," Naruto whined. "I'm not that great..."

"Every parent thinks their child is great!" Kushina chirped. She reached forward and pinched Naruto's reddened cheeks. "And believe me, you really are amazing, Naruto- and cute, too."

Naruto rubbed his blushing face for a moment before tilting his head. "You still haven't told me how you got in here, mom. What happened when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha? That old fox never wanted to tell me what really went down." The blonde shrugged.

"Yes, I still need to tell you what happened that night. The story itself is a bit long though, so you might want to settle down for a bit. First of all, you already know what happens when a female jinchuriki is pregnant, right? I had to give birth in secret, with your father making sure the Kyuubi didn't escape the entire time. It was a stressful ordeal, to be honest," the redhead truthfully remarked.

"I can maybe, uh, kinda understand that," Naruto admitted, not quite sounding sure of himself. Kushina snickered at him and then laughed when her son pouted at her.

"Well, I won't let you in on any of the _really_ painful details." Kushina chortled as her son grimaced. "In the end, the Sandaime Hokage's wife, Sarutobi Biwako, was ready to hand you over to your father when we were attacked."

"Attacked?" Naruto exclaimed, eyes narrowing. Konoha had many enemies, yes, but Naruto didn't really think anyone could go toe to toe with the Yondaime Hokage. Who had been powerful enough to do so?

Kushina nodded seriously. "I was still out of it when your father confronted the perpetrator. Someone somehow figured out my delivery date and attacked when I was at my most vulnerable. You were used as a hostage to get your father away from me, which is when the Kyuubi was forcefully released from my seal..."

**VvVvV**

(October Tenth, Years Ago)

It was a pleasant evening. The night was warm and many people were simply lounging about. A few ninja were goofing off, telling each other stories or boasting about whatever imaginary awards they had received. Every now and then, a few ANBU flitted from rooftop to rooftop.

To many people, civilian and ninja alike, there was no indication that anything was going to go wrong that night. Little did they know that their lives were about to change when a nobody, who was wearing an odd mask, rose up from the ground, ignoring any and all physical resistance.

A triumphant "Summoning Technique!" shattered the peace and the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox exploded into existence, showing the world just why it was labeled the greatest of the nine Tailed Beasts. Its massive size flattened its immediate vicinity and it roared its rage to the ninja village.

Then, the fox turned to face the Hokage Monument. Particles of chakra coalesced into a ball right in front of its mouth before it unleashed a Tailed Beast Bomb. A stream of destruction followed the obscenely large orb as it carved its way through buildings and people alike, up until it impacted the monument.

However, instead of exploding in a massive conglomeration of light and fire, the large mountain seemed to _absorb_ the attack. The explosion appeared in the distance, causing a few of the more perceptive ninja to realize what had occurred.

The Yondaime Hokage, despite his attempt to lure the fox towards him, was forced to battle the threat behind the entire attack. As he rose to his feet and clenched his hand over one of his special kunai, Namikaze Minato took the time to ask, "Are you Uchiha Madara? No, you can't be... he's been dead for too long."

No matter how outlandish Minato's initial reaction seemed, no one else in recorded history had shown the ability to control the Kyuubi. Who else could the attacker be?

If the offender really was Uchiha Madara, then Minato would have to figure out how the man had survived for so long. Those thoughts weren't necessary at the moment, though. For now, the Hokage had to stop the Masked Man from forcing the Kyuubi to cause too much unnecessary loss of life.

"I don't know about that," the man demurred, the chain connected to his wrists jangling as he shrugged his shoulders.

Minato narrowed his eyes. "Never mind who you are, then. Why have you attacked Konoha?"

"It's fun." The Masked Man chortled and pulled down his hood, revealing Uchiha-black, spiked hair. "To be frank, this is the first step in my plan to bring peace to this decrepit world."

The Yondaime Hokage inwardly scoffed; he was going to have to kill this man. His intentions were hostile and his apparent plan was full of delusion. There was no way Minato was going to let him survive, especially since the man had the ability to control the Kyuubi.

"No response? Oh well... it doesn't matter too much. Konoha will fall today!" With that proclamation, the Masked Man charged at Minato, who mirrored the man's attack.

When they met, their 'clash' was anything but. Minato fell through the man like he was made up of air. The Masked Man's chain _was_ tangible however and Minato had to use his Flying Thunder God technique to teleport away from danger once he was caught in the unorthodox weapon's hold.

The Yondaime Hokage reappeared a short distance away, his white cloak fluttering slightly. He thought quickly, coming up with three objectives to achieve in the battle.

The first was to remove the Masked Man's hold over the Kyuubi. The second was to still the man's mobility, and the third was to end his life or reduce his threat level in some way. From what he had seen so far, Minato surmised that any physical attacks would give him the lowest chance of success.

And that was without taking the man's single Sharingan into account. If the Masked Man really was Uchiha Madara, then he had years upon years of experience with taijutsu, and Minato wasn't really willing to put up with that.

History had never mentioned Madara having any skill with seals and most ninja knew little to nothing about how to handle them.

Minato rose and held one of his special, three-pronged kunai in front of him. When the two elite ninja charged at each other again, Konoha's Yellow Flash discreetly retrieved another kunai from a pocket on his cloak and dropped it. The first kunai was thrown at the man's mask, where it phased through without dealing any damage.

As soon as Minato felt the man's touch, he vanished and re-materialized behind his enemy. A feather-light touch transferred a contract seal that ended the Masked Man's control over the Kyuubi.

"Hmph," the man scoffed. "Is this all you have to offer, Minato? Perhaps I would've been better off witnessing Konoha's destruction first-hand. It certainly would've been more entertaining."

There was a flash and Minato appeared at the Masked Man's flank, a Rasengan forming in one hand. The spiraling blue orb went through the Masked Man's body, which was when he tried to grab the blonde Hokage.

Minato smirked when his opponent screamed in pain. A loud, cacophonous _bang_ sounded and the Masked Man was blown backward, half of his body smoking.

"Ugh... I shouldn't have underestimated you," the man gruffly remarked. Much to Minato's shock, the man's right arm detached from the rest of his body, falling onto the ground and turning into a puddle of some white substance. "Dropping your first kunai, transporting to this one and then back when in dan- _what_!?"

Another flash revealed that Minato had teleported in front of his foe and had placed another seal on the man's chest. To Minato, the battle was effectively over.

"A contract- No, _no_! What have you done!?" the man screamed. He stumbled away and Minato saw that the man's Sharingan had faded to reveal onyx-black eyes. "You... you...!"

"This battle is over," Minato declared. He raised a hand and created a shadow clone. "Watch him. Make sure no one else interferes, no matter who it is. I don't know if he has an accomplice, but there was no way he figured out Kushina's due date on his own."

Minato vanished from sight, unable to hear the Masked Man's infuriated screams. He would stand trial for what he had done. The Yondaime Hokage wasn't the only one who would want to see the Masked Man suffer. Konoha's citizens would need a target for their stress.

The Masked Man kept howling in anger. With his chakra sealed away, his threat level had been completely nullified. The shadow clone Minato had summoned was more than enough to keep him at bay.

"You... you...! What have you _done_? I'll destroy everything you've ever loved! You think this changes any of my plans, you filthy hypocrite!?" the man bellowed, directing his rage at the clone who was steadfastly watching him.

"Whatever your wishes are is irrelevant. You are a murderer and you will stand trial here in Konoha. We will see who is hiding underneath that mask and you will bear the burden of our hatred," the clone stoically replied. "I would take that mask off of your face and kill you myself, but, as Hokage, I don't believe I can afford to be that selfish."

The Yondaime wouldn't want to deprive others of their chance to find out who the cause of their suffering was.

The Masked Man laughed sardonically. "It isn't? Right, you believe in leaving allies and comrades behind, leaving them to rot in the battlefields Konoha creates!" He pointed at the clone and continued, "You and Konoha have paid the price, and once I get out of this forsaken place, so will the other nations! Only _I_ will be the one to end their endless, pointless squabbling! The Tailed Beasts will all be mine to command, including the Kyuubi!"

"What are you talking about? The villages are at peace. _Konoha_ was at peace. You disrupt that peace and you claim you will be the one to bring it back? Murderers do not get away with simple apologies. There is a _price to be paid_, as you have claimed."

Gloved fingers scrabbled at the edges of a patterned mask and with a violent pull, the durable piece of material was thrown off. An ugly and scarred face contorted in fury and screamed in frustration. The clone jerked back as if burned.

"So you see me now, sensei? Uchiha Obito, dead-last of the academy, of the Uchiha Clan, of everything! You told me we would always be a team! And for what? To leave me behind? To leave me buried underneath a damned mountain!?" the man- no, _teenager_- gibbered in helpless anguish, knowing that he was unable to escape the situation he found himself in.

Tears were beginning to run down the teenaged Uchiha's face. "You left me there! Dying, with half my body crushed and turned into a bloody mess!" He laughed bitterly, shoulders shaking. "But, but, someone found me. He turned me into _this_... and then when I try to return, Kakashi has the _nerve_ to let Rin die! Why? Why, why, why!?"

"Obito... we did come back for the body," Minato somberly murmured. "We did, and we found nothing. No body, no remains... That ability of yours must have ruined our chances."

The clone did not have any pity or remorse towards his former student. Those thoughts had vanished earlier. Had the teenager not done what he had done, then there might have been hope for him. As it stood, Minato's former student would lie in the hands of Konoha's governing body.

He watched Obito sob into the night air until a particularly loud explosion sounded in the distane. In his distraction, Obito had picked up his mask, replaced it, and growled loudly, like a feral beast. "I won't be stopped here," he snarled. "Kamui!"

Nothing happened. "Your chakra is sealed off," the clone noted. "Don't struggle, Obito. Face the consequences of your actions."

"I refuse to accept this reality!" There was a sound that resembled glass breaking, and the clone felt distinctly unnerved all of a sudden. "_Izanagi_!"

**VvVvV**

(With Naruto and Kushina)

"He escaped?" Naruto bit out.

"No," Kushina replied, shaking her head. "Minato's clone managed to hurt the Masked Man before being sucked into that eye of his. There wasn't much time for your father to tell me everything, I'm afraid."

"So dad got the Kyuubi out of Konoha and took you and I out from that safe house. What happened after that? Was that when you sealed the fox into me?" the blonde questioned. "Who was the Masked Man to begin with?"

"You're asking too many questions at once, Naruto," Kushina said, grinning when Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "Before he died, Minato told me the identity of the Masked Man, and how he wished for it to remain secret. I don't think he should've done so, but that was how it turned out, and I decided to honor his wishes. Unfortunately, the only definitive scapegoat Konoha had left was you."

"Ah, I don't mind as long as the bad guy was beaten. You've really gotta tell me what happens next, mom!" Naruto begged, his eyes wide and eager.

"Well, Minato had taken you and I far from Konoha, along with the Kyuubi. He planned on using a special type of seal that had originally been developed by the Uzumaki Clan. It was known as the Dead Demon Consuming Seal and its use, while able to create a powerful seal, resulted in the user's life being ripped away," Kushina explained.

When the Kyuubi was being sealed, part of her had wished that she had never taught Minato the technique. Then Kushina could've resealed the Kyuubi into her own body and dragged it to her grave. Its demise wouldn't have lasted long, but at the very least Naruto would've been able to grow up with a father, without being all alone in the world.

"The entire Kyuubi was too large to seal away at once, especially into a baby. Minato's solution was to cut the Kyuubi in two. He sealed its Yin Half into himself and was going to seal the Kyuubi's Yang Half into you. However, that was when the Masked Man returned. He was furious, far angrier than how he was at first, which was probably why he was so much easier to deal with," Kushina continued.

"Since Minato had already begun the ritual and had already sealed half of the Kyuubi into his body, he was forced to use his remaining chakra to seal away the Masked Man once and for all. His dying words were an explanation and a plea to condemn him. Since I was slowly dying too, I used the same seal he did, locking away the Kyuubi's Yang Half into your body, as well as a portion of my own chakra," Kushina quietly finished.

Naruto was thoughtful. He now had the truth behind the events that had occurred on the day of his birth. Oddly enough, he felt strangely detached from what had happened.

For some reason, he couldn't hate the Masked Man for what he had done. The ramifications had haunted him all his life, yet Naruto couldn't pour all of his hatred and malice onto the enigma that was the Masked Man.

Perhaps it was due to the blonde never meeting the man or experiencing the chaos of the Kyuubi's attack.

"You can't hate him, can you?" Kushina asked. Naruto shook his head and his mom said, "I thought so. People may say they hate others, but it's difficult to feel such a strong emotion towards an invisible foe."

"I guess that's why it was so easy for people to treat me the way they did in Konoha," Naruto figured in a flash of insight.

"Nonetheless, you got over that, didn't you?" Kushina chimed, reaching over and ruffling her son's hair. As she did so, her skin gleamed unnaturally. "Our time together is running out, Naruto..."

"Already?" Naruto murmured.

"We can't stay in here for too long, remember? Your friends are waiting for you outside," the redhead reminded. Her tone was slightly melancholic.

Naruto's expression fell and he looked away. "Sasuke's dead," he bluntly stated. "No one can survive what Utakata did to him. I'm still pretty freaking pissed right now and controlling the Kyuubi's chakra when I'm angry is practically impossible. I won't be able to restrain myself and I don't want to harm my friends."

"If you don't go back to your body in the first place, then who's going to stop you? Who's going to stop Utakata?"

The blonde paused. "I've been told that accepting myself will allow me to control a Tailed Beast's chakra without going crazy. I don't really know how to do that, though," Naruto bitterly responded. "I've done different things to try and solve the issue. I'm not going to give up anytime soon, but I need to be able to harness the furball's chakra without running the risk of hurting my allies."

Kushina's skin gleamed again. She leaned forward, holding her son close. Both mother and son indulged themselves in each other's presence, something they wouldn't be able to feel for years afterward. Naruto felt it unfair to have known a mother's touch and to then have it torn away from him so soon.

"I know you can figure it out, Naruto," Kushina encouraged. "Mito-sama and I both lived happy lives. Minato and I even had you, our own little, orange ray of sunshine! If anyone can can solve this problem, it's you."

Naruto laughed. "It has to be me anyway, mom." The two moved away and Kushina grabbed one of her son's hands, running her thumb over the back of his palm. "I really wish we could've spent more time together," the blonde said.

His mother stopped rubbing his hand and placed it over his chest, right where his heart was still beating. A gentle smile graced her expression, and she reassuringly said, "Remember that your father and I will always love you, and that we'll always be with you. Ya know, Minato wouldn't stop going on and on about being a father. He really was excited to meet you.

"Don't forget about Kakashi-kun and... Jiraiya-sama... too. They treasure their bonds and yours is one they will keep for life. I know, I may sound like I'm reciting lines from a corny book, or maybe a movie, but it is true. Always know that there are people who accept you, no matter who you are, and that jinchuriki _can_ live happy, fulfilling lives."

Naruto rapidly blinked away his tears, smiling widely and feeling a satisfied calm fall over him. He gasped when small pin-pricks of light rose up from his mother's glowing skin, signaling that their time was coming to an end.

"There's so much more I want to tell you... I love you so much..." Kushina whispered.

She wanted to instruct Naruto, be there when he skinned his knee, and watch over him as he became a splendid shinobi.

She wanted to see Naruto fall for his crush and, perhaps, see it become something more.

She wanted to see her son marry the woman of his dreams and see how he'd react to his first child.

There was so much she had wanted to do...

Kushina began to fade and disappear, tears running down her face as she tried to give her son one last, loving hug. Right before Naruto's eyes, his mother vanished, finally leaving the world of the living and heading to the land of the dead.

And then, the golden expanse around him shattered. It cracked and fell apart, revealing the dreary, wet cage that represented Naruto's seal. The Kyuubi was in the middle of a giant yawn, its tails lazily weaving through the air.

"Took you long enough," the great fox rumbled after closing its maw.

"...Yeah," Naruto finally replied, dazed from the extended meeting he'd just had. His heart was thumping rapidly and a pleasant flush throbbed throughout his body.

Taking on Utakata and controlling the Kyuubi's intense power didn't seem so difficult now.

"Are you ready to return?" the Kyuubi asked. "I will attempt to aid you. Be cautious, for your body- as well as that other jinchuriki- have not been stationary. In addition, another human is participating in your battle."

"What!?" Naruto cried. "This is dangerous! Do you know who it is?"

"The loudmouthed girl attempted to aid you and ultimately ended up failing to do anything noteworthy. The Nanabi's jinchuriki descended from the skies in her place," the fox informed.

"Fuu's here? Then that means the battle should almost be over..." the blonde murmured, glancing down at the watery cell floor. "All right. Let's get out of here, Kyuubi. Let's end this fight. I refuse to let Sasuke's death be in vain!"

The Kyuubi stared at his container, who was staring right back with a confident, determined gaze. A threatening, toothy grin appeared on the fox's visage. "How pleasing. Your attitude has changed, brat," it noted.

Naruto grinned. "I'm ready, Kyuubi. No more losing myself, no more harming others." Uzumaki Kushina- his mother- had faith in him. How could he fail?

The fox's frightening grin only widened, rows of sharp teeth gleaming in the dim lighting around them.

**VvVvV**

(Senpuku)

Utakata flinched away from Naruto's burning red chakra cloak as if struck. The others had fanned out around the two fighting jinchuriki, though they remained a respectable distance away.

No one wanted to get hit with whatever destructive power the two jinchuriki were using. Yet, they were reluctant to leave their friend alone in his battle.

"Impossible," Utakata growled, displeasure evident in his eerie, white eyes. Ignoring the other pests surrounding him, Utakata focused on Naruto, watching as he roared loudly and reoriented himself.

Based on the way he was acting, Utakata assumed Naruto was still locked away in his own mind, able only to act on instinct. _The plan can still be salvaged_, the former Kiri-nin thought. Animals were unpredictable at times, yet also easier to deal with. They didn't have the rational state of mind humans did.

Utakata felt that the situation hadn't plummeted too far yet. Konoha could still lose their jinchuriki and, therefore, a large portion of their military might.

Naruto- who looked very much like a miniature Kyuubi- bounded forward, claws slashing at Utakata's throat. The Kiri-nin ducked, watching as the claws made contact with the ground. Invisible blades of wind rocketed out from Naruto's nails, eviscerating the soil and turning a nearby building into sawdust.

Taking advantage of their positioning, Utakata's body thinned and lengthened, allowing him to coil around Naruto's body. _Gotcha_, he thought smugly. Despite the tight hold Utakata had Naruto in, the mindless jinchuriki thrashed about, his tails easily carving deep trenches into their surroundings.

A rope made up of water wrapped around the former Kiri-nin's torso, preventing him from dashing forward and engaging Naruto. Electricity coursed through it and, although Utakata felt an ounce of pain, the attack was ultimately useless. With a casual swing from one of his chakra tails, the whip dispersed.

However, it did allow Naruto to punch Utakata away. Growling in annoyance, the Rokubi jinchuriki turned and prepared himself to rip the other Konoha-nin into shreds.

"We won't let you hurt anyone else!" Sakura exclaimed. Another watery whip formed around her right wrist. "Guys, back me up! Don't let him move!"

Kiba and Akamaru landed next to the pink-haired kunoichi. "Much as I'd love breaking this guy's bones," the Inuzuka grouched, "it's too dangerous to attack head-on! Not when Naruto's raging like that!"

Sakura's puffy, red eyes glistened. "I'm not going to leave Naruto alone!"

"I believe that in this case," Shino interjected, taking a position next to his comrades, "it is unnecessary to throw ourselves at a much more lethal foe. My allies have determined that the Takigakure contingent is on their way, as is their strongest ninja. Prepare yourselves."

"Wait, you mean-"

A green blur slammed into Utakata's body, sending he and the attacker careening away from the Konoha-nin. The two collided into a nearby house, breaking through a wooden wall and causing the roof to collapse down on top of them.

"Yes," Shino droned, "reinforcements are here." He glanced back at Naruto's churning, crimson body. "Why is Naruto not acting?"

"I think you spoke too soon," Kiba gruffly remarked. He, Akamaru, and his two comrades backed away when Naruto ambled forward and released another earth-shattering roar. Kiba and Akamaru groaned at the volume.

"We should move to a safer distance," Shino noted, hopping backward and giving Naruto some more space. His friends followed, joining Hinata where she had been attempting to do _something_ to possibly save or prolong Sasuke's life.

Hinata wiped her eyes, deactivating her Byakugan and shaking her head when the four approached. "I-It's no use," she whispered.

The green blur was punted out of the debris of the collapsed house, bouncing violently several times on the hard, earthen ground before righting itself and resuming flight. Now the Konoha-nin were able to discern the blur's physical characteristics and they found relief in seeing a familiar face.

Fuu fluttered closer to Naruto, though she remained on guard. Her attention was mostly focused on Utakata, who was pulling himself out of the destroyed home.

"You guys should get out of here!" Fuu yelled, a stinger-like tail of chakra extending below her.

"I'm not going to leave Naruto!" Sakura screamed back.

Naruto let out a warbling, moaning groan. An orb of black and blue chakra was coming together in front of his distended jaw, steadily growing larger and larger until it was the size of a human skull.

Fuu's eyes widened and she flew towards the Konoha-nin. "Brace yourselves," she hissed, landing and implanting her chakra tail into the ground.

"Is that how you want to play?" Utakata rumbled. His own tails burrowed into the ground.

The ball of chakra was quickly compressed. Pressure began to bear down on his surroundings, causing the Konoha-nin- and Fuu- to fall to a knee. Naruto's jaws widened and closed around the chakra he had expelled from his body.

Naruto's body expanded to an almost grotesque size and the oppression pressing down upon the area intensified. However, the jinchuriki's eyes blinked suddenly, and gazed up. His jaws opened and what seemed to be a second sun, rendering the sky alight, blinded every ninja fighting in Senpuku.

The jinchuriki looked back down, gazing at his body in wonder. He could still detect the unearthly power that was the Kyuubi's chakra, yet the malignant hatred that had sprouted from his very being whenever he had previously used the cloak wasn't present in its entirety.

"What an odd feeling," the jinchuriki intoned, his voice warped and guttural.

"Naruto-kun, watch out!" Hinata cried, having recovered from the backlash of the immensely powerful attack the raging blonde had fired into the sky. Hinata didn't know if Naruto was all there in the head to hear or understand her, but her Byakugan was active and she could see Utakata's tails digging through the soil, heading towards his enemy's position.

Much to her surprise, Naruto's own tails covered the front of his body, shielding him from the dark-blue chakra tails Utakata was attacking with. The Rokubi's chakra couldn't burn the defenses away, granting Naruto an opening.

The others gawked at their friend as he grabbed the chakra tails poking out from the soil and ripped them out, tearing up the ground in the process and launching Utakata into the air. Naruto shot his chakra limbs into the air, though Utakata batted them away.

"This is over," the Kyuubi jinchuriki declared. Numerous blue chains burst out from his chest, enough to overwhelm and entangle the former Kiri-nin's body. More and more chains exited Naruto's body, some entering the ground and some rising above him, like a series of angry snakes.

"How are you doing this? None of these techniques should be possible!" Utakata exclaimed, struggling against his bindings.

The red chakra covering Naruto's body receded, slithering into a position on Naruto's outstretched right hand. A seal on his palm briefly glowed, dispelling his claws, and the chains above bore down on the Rasengan forming above it.

"These chains are tough," Naruto replied. "My mother gave them to me, you know. They might not have been used for this purpose if you hadn't done what you did. If my luck runs out in the future, this is going to bite me in the ass. Oh well; you certainly deserve what's coming to you." The blonde's tone was dark and his glare solemn.

Even Utakata's tails were pinned down. From what the others could see, their enemy was completely restricted. He was unable to move or attack- or so his enemies thought. A jinchuriki's capabilities were usually unknown, and Utakata was no exception.

"Are you going to kill me?" Utakata asked, now sounding curious.

"I don't think I'm a good enough Samaritan to do otherwise," Naruto responded. Chakra chains wrapped around the arm holding the Rasengan, their barbed tips pushing harder and harder into the now-purple spinning sphere. "You know, my godfather mentioned that once started, the cycle of revenge never stops. I don't think anyone is going to want to get revenge for you, though. Orochimaru's forces never looked like they were too friendly."

Despite the chains wrapped around him, Utakata's dark-blue body began to bulge. His white eyes narrowed and he announced, "I can still damage Konoha's army. The Rokubi will gladly kill in my stead."

"According to the Kyuubi, that's not going to happen," Naruto shot back. The Rasengan in his hand was shrouded by the chains and the blonde's arm began to tremble from the force of the chakra roiling inside. "Somehow, you've suppressed the Rokubi's conscience. We're sorry to it in advance. Spiraling Sphere Cannon!"

"It won't be enough! Konoha's propaganda will never win!" Utakata screamed.

Reassured of his stability due to the several chakra chains anchoring him to the ground, Naruto proceeded to release his Rasengan variant. The end of the chains covering his arm, wrist, and hand opened up, unleashing the chaotic energy within.

A dark, murky, tightly compacted ball flew out of the mass of chains, spiraling through the air like a drill. Due to its velocity, it made contact with Utakata's rapidly deforming body in under a fraction of a second, ripping him away from the mass of chains pinning him to the ground.

Impressive as its speed was, the attack did not stop there. It kept moving, launching its victim into the distance, where it exploded brilliantly. The explosion's scope was quite large, incinerating several houses in a conflagration of red and yellow.

Naruto watched as the explosion's light died down, revealing a depression that had deep grooves carved into it. No body could be seen within- indeed, all there was to see was charred earth; not even debris remained.

"I do wish this could've been different, Utakata," Naruto muttered. "At least then we could've been friends or something."

Now, though, the Rokubi would reconstitute itself given time. It would be recaptured and resealed by whichever village it was nearest to. Perhaps Kiri would resume possession of the beast, or perhaps another village would manage to obtain it.

Or, maybe, it would roam free. Impossible as such a thing sounded, the possibility was there. If the Rokubi did end up being resealed, Naruto hoped it would find a suitable host, one that wouldn't allow its power to be misused.

And, when that happened, Naruto hoped that the new jinchuriki would be treated not as a pariah, but as a person.

All of the chains that had been connected to Naruto's body retracted, retreating into the tenketsu from which they had been created. Although he had looked fairly disturbing and wobbled a bit on his feet, for all intents and purposes, Naruto was fine. He could still serve and fight until the battle completely died down.

Sighing heavily, the blonde turned, seeing his friends stare at him with something akin to awe- with the exception of Fuu, who was tossing him a cheerful grin. Marveling at how he wasn't falling flat on his face, Naruto slowly walked up to his comrades.

"You idiot!" Sakura screamed, smacking Naruto on the back of his head. He winced at the light blow and then had the air knocked out of his lungs when his pink-haired teammate wrapped her arms tightly around his torso.

Damn, Sakura was _strong_.

"I'm... I'm so glad you're all right," she murmured, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Sakura noted with some amusement that her blonde teammate was taller than her now. "Please... please don't scare me like that again."

"Heh," Naruto said, relaxing, "don't worry about it, Sakura-chan. I'm too damn awesome to die and you know it."

Kiba guffawed and punched Naruto on the shoulder. "Nice going, dude! I can't believe my eyes! I guess you've really outdone yourself this time, eh?" Akamaru barked happily and licked Naruto's hand.

"We should hold off until the battle is finished." Shino adjusted his glasses and said, "Extraordinary as your victory is, our enemies may not have surrendered yet. They may have others lying in wait. It would be prudent of us to back up our allies. In addition..."

The Aburame didn't finish the sentence. A pointed look at the body of Uchiha Sasuke brought everyone's mood crashing down. His body had been dragged from the fighting and into a safer area. A shirt and vest lay discarded on the soil next to him, enabling the ninja to view the gaping wound Utakata's attack had caused.

"I tried my best," Hinata said, sounding downtrodden, "but it was... his heart was..."

"Hey," Naruto softly said, grasping Hinata's shoulders. "It's not your fault, Hinata. It was already too late the moment Utakata struck him. Sasuke knew what he was doing. He saved my life and I'll forever be in his debt. If anything, it's my fault."

"W-What? That's not true!" Hinata cried, her head snapping up.

Naruto chuckled, his electric-blue eyes meeting her watery ones. "Maybe if I had been more attentive this wouldn't have happened." He let go of Hinata's shoulders- much to her disappointment- and sighed. "I hope you're happy, you bastard. How are you supposed to one-up me now?"

Another ninja caught the attention of the Konoha-nin, all of which assumed battle-ready stances. The ninja, however, had Takigakure forehead protector, and was simply reporting in to Fuu, who was listening quietly. After a few words were exchanged, the shinobi bounded away.

"It's over; the majority of the Kusa-nin have surrendered. Those who haven't are being killed or captured," Fuu informed, turning to Naruto. "Um... I'm sorry about Uchiha Sasuke. I, uh, I'm not really good at this sort of thing. Great job with the Kyuubi's chakra, though!"

"Thanks," Naruto replied with a nod, cracking a lopsided grin. He hoped no one else was going to apologize to him though. Their apologies, in his opinion, should be given to Sasuke's family. They were the ones who were going to be grieving.

A tight knot formed in his stomach and Naruto swallowed thickly. Sasuke's family... what would they think? How would Mikoto-san take it? First Mikoto had received a crippling injury from an enemy who had escaped capture with their life intact, and now this.

He supposed he'd dwell on it when he had the chance. No use thinking about it when the damage had to be surveyed and the village secured. Briefly, he wondered where Jiraiya was...

Biting into his thumb hard enough to draw blood, Naruto flipped through a series of seals and slammed his hands into the ground. A puff of smoke signaled the arrival of a small, green toad. "Hey," the jinchuriki greeted. "Could you find Jiraiya-sensei for me? Tell him Utakata was killed."

The toad croaked and vanished, going off to wherever Jiraiya was.

A groan escaped Naruto's lips and he ran a hand through his unkempt, messy locks. The village had been devastated, many had lost their lives, and at the end of the day, the battle was supposed to be labeled a victory for Konoha.

Hopefully his other friends and comrades were okay.

**VvVvV**

A toad croaked several times to a irritated, angry sage who, having been on the receiving end of many similar messages in the past, easily deciphered what the toad was trying to tell him. "Good job," Jiraiya said. "Now, I have to spread a message of my own." The toad croaked and left back to Mount Myoboku.

Jiraiya examined the body of his sensei. The former Professor of Konoha was covered in dirt and grime, with puncture marks visible on his chest. A smile was imprinted on his face, one that defied Orochimaru's wishes of watching Sarutobi Hiruzen die like a dog.

The Sandaime Hokage had succumbed to his wounds when the huge flash had blinded the sky, content in his belief that Naruto would survive and emerge victorious.

Orochimaru had scoffed and denied the chance of Utakata ever failing, but Jiraiya had detected a tinge of unease in his old friend's voice. Takigakure's arrival likely exacerbated the traitor's worries.

_Those worries of his were well-founded_, Jiraiya thought. When Kusa's army began to surrender after realizing how outnumbered they were, Jiraiya took the time to find his sensei.

Unfortunately, he hadn't arrived quick enough. Instead, the hermit was able to watch Orochimaru gloat and growl until the flash blinded him, allowing the snake to escape.

Not even Orochimaru was willing to fight an army.

Turning his mind back to the present, Jiraiya wondered what Konoha was going to do now. Hiruzen had gambled on being able to end Orochimaru's life. Had Orochimaru not been available to remove, the Hokage's participation would've demoralized his enemies and spurred his shinobi onward.

Without the Sandaime's guidance, Konoha would be at a loss. Another Hokage- one that had the necessary wisdom- would need to be chosen.

_Damn it_. Jiraiya mentally groaned. _I hope the daimyo forgets I exist_.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry about the delay, but I actually left to stay with some relatives after my semester ended. I was able to read a bit, leave reviews, and... not write at all. I'm back now though... right when school is starting up again. Ha.<strong>

**Anyway, here's chapter thirty-seven. It's been a while since I've flexed those literary muscles of mine, so please tell me what you think. The scene with sealing the Kyuubi into Naruto was actually initially present in this chapter, but I realized that Tobi doesn't really have too much prominence in this story, so I deleted that portion since it was mimicking canon with a small twist. In addition, I'm not quite sure how to handle Tobi's characterization. Did I do okay? **

**Furthermore, I'm rather iffy on Utakata's death. I did intend for him to die eventually, but I feel as if his death was not as well-written as it could've been. Do you readers like it? Hate it? Have any other opinions regarding it?**

**I hope everyone had a great set of holidays! ...And I find myself using 'but' way too often here...**

**Read, review, and send me a PM if you have any questions, comments, concerns, etc.**

**EDIT 1/13/2014: Fixed a small continuity error**


	38. Host

Chapter Thirty-eight: Host

Jiraiya sighed and rubbed his brow tiredly. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.

The death of the Hokage had stricken many Konoha-nin hard. It was difficult to fathom that the kind, grandfatherly figure who had presided over their home village for so long was actually dead and gone, killed by the instigator of the entire war.

His death was in addition to the various ninja killed and injured by the aggressive Kusa-nin. Though they had surrendered at the end of the day, the mood was still rather grim. Many Konoha-nin eyed their captive foes with disdain, some visibly having to hold themselves back from striking at their restrained enemies.

Kusa had been defeated. Their effort was put down and they were no longer a threat, especially with the failure of their own leader to survive the battle he had led his ninja into.

Takigakure's aid had been helpful in decisively ending the battle. Utakata's death had also eased the amount of damage each side would've sustained. Unfortunately, none of the friendly ninja could leave quite yet. Issues were on the horizon and Jiraiya was making sure they all knew what was going on.

"Naruto!" the sage gruffly yelled, catching his sleepy apprentice's attention. "You doing all right?" he added in a gentler tone.

The blonde ceased his conversation, excused himself, and jogged up to his teacher. His sandals dragged slightly on the dusty dirt as he shot Jiraiya a small grin. "I'm fine, Jiraiya-sensei," he replied.

"I'm glad," the man said. "That explosion earlier was no laughing matter. Had you aimed it forward instead of up, I'm not sure we would've had too many people returning home."

Naruto coughed and scratched the back of his head. "Ah, about that, sensei... when are we leaving?"

Jiraiya observed Naruto for a moment, noting how his eyes kept flickering to the side, where his friends were standing and watching the exchange. As much as he would've liked to send the brats home, Jiraiya couldn't do so. They'd need any and all the manpower they could get, after all.

"You aren't," a smooth voice interrupted. A teenager with much-too-shiny skin walked out from behind Jiraiya, his expression calm.

Red, silky hair and a dark cloak covering most of the teenager's body caused Naruto to narrow his eyes. "Sasori?" he asked.

"Indeed," the scorpion replied. "Long time no see, yes? How intriguing is it that you managed to best Orochimaru's pet jinchuriki. Yes, yes, a lot of chakra was released here. I would've loved an opportunity to study Utakata's physiology. Orochimaru tends to have a fascination with disfigurement when operating on human bodies. By the way, how _did_ you destroy that jinchuriki's body?"

"I'm curious about that as well. Shinobi as a whole aren't exactly fragile and jinchuriki are even more durable than that," Jiraiya admitted.

"After Kyuubi's chakra empowered it, I compressed the technique and fired it under intense pressure," Naruto explained. "It was modified to drill through obstacles and then detonate when its composition became too unstable. That's how I was able to pierce Utakata's chakra cloak."

Jiraiya cracked a grin at his apprentice. "Heh, you perfected it, didn't you? That was one of the techniques you were working on, huh? I knew you could do it," the man boasted.

"Your description bears a slight resemblance to the unrefined attacks Tailed Beasts have been known to use," Sasori mused. "In this case, however, I suppose it is more elegant than that chakra attack that was used earlier."

Naruto cleared his throat. "Could you two explain why we aren't heading back to Konoha?"

"Yeah, sorry," Jiraiya said. "The short story is that we- or rather, us- have to fight again. Sasori, if you will?"

"Of course," the master puppeteer muttered. "Kumogakure has actually had an army waiting on the border, next to the Land of Rice Fields or, as it is now known, the Land of Sound. One of Orochimaru's commanders has been waiting for an opportune time to strike and he has decided to do so relatively soon."

The blonde rubbed his temple, sighing softly into the air. "No break then?"

"There's still some time," Jiraiya reassured. "Make no mistake though, there is a definite possibility that everyone here is going to have to fight again."

"This issue is further compounded by the fact that Kumo has one of its top ninja accompanying that portion of their army," Sasori continued. "Nii Yugito, the jinchuriki of the Nibi no Nekomata. According to my sources, she is exceptionally skilled, especially in the use of her tenant's abilities."

"Fortunately, Kumo won't be able to bring the full force of their military strength onto us. Kirigakure should be assaulting their coastline or, perhaps, could be farther than that," Jiraiya added. "Plus, we have countermeasures for Yugito's existence, and they do require you to put in some effort, Naruto. Would you be up for them?"

"Definitely," the blonde replied with a confident nod. "I'm not so lazy as to leave you guys alone in handling her."

"Don't be so full of yourself," Jiraiya chided. "We could've wrecked her shit if we really wanted to. It's just easier this way since we don't intend to kill Yugito."

"Forcing the Nibi to reform itself could become problematic and we're unsure what will occur due to Yugito's proficiency," Sasori added. "Thankfully, we have the means to restrain her. You and that Mokuton-user will strip Yugito's power away and keep her from her fellow Kumo ninja."

"How would we do that? Wouldn't she be traveling with her comrades?" Naruto questioned, not surprised that Sasori knew of Yamato's unique set of techniques.

"Use the Kyuubi's chakra," Sasori droned. "I suspect the extra speed and strength will be enough to knock her away."

"Keep in mind that we're not asking you to fight her head-on. That would be suicide," Jiraiya said, forestalling his apprentice's interruption. "Nii Yugito is much more experienced than you are, Naruto. Taking her by surprise and then removing her from the battle will make my job- and Sasori's- that much easier."

The blonde stared first at Jiraiya and then at Sasori. Finally, he nodded and reaffirmed his confidence. "Got it. Rush in, grab the girl, and put her where Yamato's waiting. I'll try to suppress the Kyuubi's presence as much as I possibly can, too. By the way," the blonde continued, "is Taki going to fight again?"

"They will have no choice if we cannot stop the army," Sasori said. "Their leader has already chosen sides, too. Your friend- that other jinchuriki- will greatly aid us as well. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"Hang on a second," the blonde interrupted. "Who exactly is fighting in this?"

Jiraiya pointed a thumb at his chest and then gestured towards Sasori. "We are, along with you and Fuu. There will be no restraints once Yugito is hidden away from the battle. We're going to bring our full might to bare to our attackers."

"I thought..." Naruto paused. "The others aren't fighting?"

"They will if we cannot cause enough fatalities to ensure a retreat," Sasori stated. "Are you still willing to fight despite knowing this?"

"Yes," Naruto replied without any hesitation.

While Jiraiya wished Naruto's friends could fight alongside him, he knew that his apprentices newfound mastery over the Kyuubi's chakra would grant them a large edge over the offenders. Having less people to worry about meant that the blonde could focus more on the battle, too.

A small part of the perverted hermit wondered if Naruto would be able to obtain great power not related on the fox. Kushina had, after all, become entirely proficient on her own, without using any of the fox's chakra at all.

"You won't be completely alone," Jiraiya assured. "The toads will back you up if you need help. Fuu will be there too."

"Is that all?" Sasori asked. At Naruto's slow nod, he turned and promptly left.

Jiraiya huffed to himself. "Real charmer, that one," the man remarked. "Excellent at gathering and utilizing tiny bits of information, though. We're lucky to have his aid."

The man eyed the blonde jinchuriki for a moment before saying, "Are you sure you can do this, Naruto? The Kyuubi's chakra burns you out pretty quickly."

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, having had enough of being left in the dark. Fuu accompanied her while the others- along with Team Ten- kept their distance.

"Don't worry, Jiraiya-sensei, I'm fine," Naruto said. "And, Sakura, we have a problem that's literally on the horizon."

"What do you mean?" Fuu chimed.

"Kumo had an army waiting," Jiraiya grunted. "They've been waiting on the northern border near the Land of Rice Fields with another bunch of Orochimaru's cronies. They've decided to attack, right after we've finished with Kusagakure's stupidity."

"No time to rest, then..." Sakura muttered, eyes downcast.

"Not for us, no, but I and an accomplice of mine will participate with our full strength in this battle, and Naruto will be partaking in a plan to rid Kumo of one of their hardest hitters," Jiraiya explained. "Don't act so depressed. You kids will be able to go home eventually. It just takes time, like any other one of these damned wars."

"Provided this plan works, it should make things easier on everyone. We won't have to deal with one of Kumo's strongest kunoichi if we're successful. I'm more than suited for the task, anyway," Naruto said.

The pink-haired kunoichi glared at her teammate until he quailed underneath her stern gaze. "You better not do anything stupid," she growled. "Not after Sasuke- we still need to-"

"Oi!" Kiba called, moving over to the group of four. "Seriously, what's going on? All I see are your faces changing from gloomy to gloomier. Yo, guys! Get over here!"

Shikamaru grumbled underneath his breath but acquiesced as the rest of the former rookies did as Kiba asked. The majority looked somewhat scuffed up, with Chouji sporting some bloodstained bandages on his arm.

"Ugh," Jiraiya groaned. "I have other things to do with... never mind. Naruto, you and your girlfriends can explain this to them. I'll be back later with Yamato."

He jumped away, smirking at his apprentice's incoherent stuttering. He was much more fun to rile up than Minato had been. Minato had been quiet, always wearing a polite smile and never rising to any sort of comment Jiraiya would make. The only exception was when Kushina was nearby and even then, it was difficult to achieve such a thing.

Jiraiya then sighed. He had to deal with his teacher's death. He couldn't go back to Konoha yet either, and dealing with Kumo's much more accomplished army would require him to break out his set of powerful techniques and the aid of the other toads.

Once he stopped leaping through the partially-destroyed town, the hermit performed the Summoning Technique, causing a small messenger toad to appear. "Well? Any news, or did I interrupt them? I'm kind of short on time," the hermit asked.

The toad tilted its head and croaked. Then, it proceeded to open its mouth wide and regurgitate a surprisingly dry and clean scroll. It handed the message to its summoner, who rewarded it with a small piece of candy.

"Thank you," Jiraiya muttered, becoming engrossed in the contents of the scroll. To most Konoha-nin, the message would be reassuring. To him, it was nothing but a smack to his face.

His expression must have been ugly, for the toad croaked in confusion. Glancing down at the curious amphibian, Jiraiya chuckled dryly and said, "Well, I've got no choice it seems. You're one of the first to know who the Godaime Hokage of Konoha is. Do me a favor and tell Ma and Pa that I'm going to need them pretty soon. Oh, and your uncles as well."

The toad nodded its compliance and vanished in a puff of gray smoke. Jiraiya sighed and ran a hand through his long hair.

"Damn you, Tsunade..."

**VvVvV**

"Just for the record, I'd rather not do this here," Naruto stated.

Sasori didn't blink. "It is necessary." Due to his efforts, no one would sense the sudden outpouring of demonic chakra. The puppeteer was not about to waste those special sealing tags he and Jiraiya had devoted time and energy into creating and setting up.

"What about you, Sakura? Why experience it when its in full-flow again? Tenten mentioned that the longer she stayed near me the more disconcerting it became," the blonde worriedly said.

"Naruto, I'm not about to ditch you. Team Seven is supposed to be stick together..." she replied sadly.

The blonde looked up in contemplative silence and then sighed morosely. "If only I'd been faster. Maybe I could've done something, ya know?"

"It's not your fault," the pink-haired chunin quietly stated. "None of us were really sure how powerful Utakata would be. At least he got what was coming to him."

"There's no point in wallowing over what could've been. I think I've done that enough in my lifetime," Naruto admitted with a sheepish chuckle. "I guess all we can do now is keep moving forward. Sasuke's sacrifice isn't going to be in vain, that's for sure.

"Are you ready, Captain?" Naruto called out, pushing Sasuke's death out of his mind. Yamato, who had been observing the scene quietly, sent the teenager a thumbs up and raised his arms as a precaution. "All right then. Back up, Sakura, Jiraiya-sensei. Kyuubi says that using this much chakra might still cause some kinda backlash."

Naruto joined his hands together and closed his eyes, sinking deep into the recesses of his mind. Finding the violent, churning energy was almost instinctual now, and the Kyuubi granted its host its chakra without any moaning.

"**_This should be amusing. Don't fall flat on your face,_**" the fox taunted.

"_Shaddup_," Naruto retorted. "_This is like, my second time using this._"

The fox snorted but paid close attention to how Naruto's body reacted to the sudden influx of chaotic, burning chakra. Much to its satisfaction, the blonde's body didn't immediately spout signs of duress, and his skin was not being peeled away while under the stressful influence of the cloak.

To the others, it seemed as if Naruto's body had been taken over by a miniature version of the Kyuubi. No one in the vicinity had seen the Kyuubi before- if anything, they had only seen stylized pictures. Still, Naruto's form seemed to represent the great fox more than any other painting.

"Whoa," the Uzumaki exclaimed, "this is different."

"The cloak isn't as dark as it was before," Sakura noted. "It's... brighter, kind of."

"Not as red, from what I remember," Fuu added.

Naruto straightened his body and stretched his arms up, wiggling each individual finger. He didn't feel very angry; instead, the cloak was making him energetic. The jinchuriki wanted to run, to jump, to fight.

Doing something physically taxing sounded like a good idea at the moment. That wasn't why they were all here, though. Demonstrating complete control over the Kyuubi's abilities was needed in order to reassure Sasori that their plan wouldn't fail.

"I feel great," the blonde said. The four tails behind him twitched downward, as if they were reinforcing Naruto's statement.

Fuu jumped forward, closer to Naruto's ghastly face than was probably necessary. "You look fine to me," his fellow jinchuriki said. "Definitely not as red," she reiterated before going back to her previous position.

"So, now what? Anything you want me to do?" the charged jinchuriki questioned.

"The rest of you should step farther back," Sasori notified. The others did so, with Fuu reluctantly following them. The puppeteer nodded in satisfaction. "Naruto, _evade_ my attacks. I will let you know when attacking back is allowed."

"Hang on," Sakura protested, "you're just going to attack him? Just because Jiraiya-sama trusts you doesn't mean we do."

"I trust him and that's enough," Jiraiya announced, overriding any further arguments. "Keep going, Sasori."

"Very well," the puppeteer replied.

"Come on, come on!" Naruto growled. "I'm getting antsy here! I can use this chakra but it's freaking volatile!"

Sasori assented to Naruto's demands and ignored the hostile glare from the blonde's teammate. He raised his arms and six wooden puppets rose from the brush behind him. Human puppets were too valuable to waste on a training exercise and the dummies Sasori had constructed were more than satisfactory for this particular simulation.

Without saying a thing, Sasori sent his puppets forward. Each of them resembled humans but with additional sets of arms, legs, or both. Blades were attached to their limbs and spring-loaded, poisoned senbon hidden inside their chest compartments.

Against a special jounin, they might've been trouble. However, flesh was a lot less reinforced than Tailed Beast chakra, and Sasori was sure Naruto would ultimately suffer no injuries from his attacks.

One puppet went straight towards Naruto's front. Two others flanked him, while another jumped above. The last two puppets appeared behind the jinchuriki, cutting off a crucial avenue of escape. Their weapons glinted menacingly in the rays of sunlight penetrating the foliage.

To the non-participating ninja, controlling six puppets at once with such dexterity was nothing short of astonishing. Sure, they knew the strange-looking man in front of them was Sasori of the Red Sand, but reading about his prestige and actually viewing it first-hand were two completely different matters.

Jiraiya himself could count the amount of times he had seen Sasori fight on one hand.

Naruto waited as the puppets closed in on his position, his body practically vibrating with anticipation. The puppet in front of him struck first, stabbing forward with a blade attached to its forearm. Sidestepping the attack, Naruto fell to the floor and contorted his body, also evading the stabbing strike from the above puppet.

The two flanking him were in range and the four puppets now surrounding him were moving in one, synchronized manner. Deep within his mind, Naruto heard the Kyuubi snort in thinly veiled amusement.

A blade aimed at Naruto's neck, while another three attempted to stab at different parts of his torso. Other blades- including a thin rapier- were attempting to cut his legs and disable his mobility. The puppet behind him was spinning its segmented body like a top as it dealt with the chakra tails attached to his tailbone.

Naruto's perception of the world around him slowed down. The puppets were no longer working like a well-oiled machine. Instead, to him, they seemed disconnected from each other, allowing Naruto to pick out which positions would be the most useful in avoiding damage.

Then, he _moved_. Or rather, it was more akin to flowing through the puppets' attacks. His body contorted in various ways his ordinary self wouldn't have been able to. Yet, Naruto didn't feel any pain or discomfort from the movements.

It was as if his newfound flexibility was something his body had always been used to.

Of course, the puppets didn't stop. They kept attacking, over and over again, as Sasori manipulated them. The puppeteer's face remained serene, seemingly unperturbed at Naruto's success.

After a minute of Naruto evading the puppets' attacks in ways that would make an accomplished gymnast jealous, Sasori called out, "You may attack now, Naruto!"

With claws outstretched and tails twitching, Naruto spun in a circle, shattering the four puppets that had been assailing him. The other two puppets that had been keeping their distance were similarly destroyed as his chakra tails snapped outward, tearing them to wooden shrapnel.

"Whoa, that's neat," Fuu breathed.

"Impressive," Sasori said. He still doubted contact from any of the blades would've done any damage, though. "Shall we try something a bit more difficult?"

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed, agreeing whole-heartedly. He ignored the protests form his friends, assuring them that he wouldn't be harmed and that the practice was necessary. "What else ya got, Sasori?"

"Very well." Reaching into the cloak he was wearing, the puppeteer retrieved a scroll and promptly unraveled it. Inside was a sealing matrix, one that Naruto recognized as a storage variant.

Sasori placed his hand onto the paper and, with a puff of smoke, ten additional puppets were revealed. Some were large and bulky while others were thin and reedy. Their sizes were all different and their weaponry was even more unconventional.

Sakura eyed a puppet that was carrying a gruesome-looking flail with more than a bit of unease. "Um, Naruto? Is this... all right?" she hesitantly tried.

In response to the puppets, the blonde began to hop from one foot to the other. His blood was boiling and the urge to expend the energy coursing through his body was rising. In his zealousness, he completely missed the worried murmurs coming from his friends.

"_**Calm down**_," the Kyuubi rumbled. "_**Yes, the power is great without unstable emotions, but control is greater than lack of restraint.**_"

Naruto stopped hopping about and took a deep breath. The fox was right; he was beginning to lose sight of what the point of the exercise was.

The blonde couldn't help it. Whereas before the negative feelings had almost been enough to overwhelm him, now the energy boost was incredibly empowering. Practice would hopefully rein in urges- keeping the hyperactivity in check would likely be crucial.

This time, he noticed the murmuring of his teammate. Turning to face Sakura, he gave the kunoichi a thumbs up. Hopefully that would calm her down. If not, then he had confidence Jiraiya and Fuu would be able to attest to his safety.

Sasori raised an eyebrow. "I will not be holding back this time. Are you ready?" The waiting jinchuriki cleared his thoughts and nodded, watching as the redhead sent his ten puppets forward.

"_**Exhale, Naruto**_," the Kyuubi instructed.

"_Huh?_" Naruto ducked underneath an ax that was aimed at his neck and snapped his arm forward. The limb extended, tearing through the wooden body of the puppet and rendering it useless. Quickly retracting his arm, the blonde's tails whipped wildly, generating wind that knocked several chakra-coated kunai off-course.

"_**Exhale like you are using a Fuuton technique! My chakra will strengthen your breath, imbecile!**_" the fox quickly snarled.

The chest compartment of one of the puppets opened up, revealing a cannon-like weapon that shot out fire, forcing Naruto to leap straight up. The flames licked at the other puppets, though no damage was actually done. Some sort of flame-retardant material must have been added during the construction process.

Forcing the instinctual hand-seals down- they wouldn't work properly in this form- Naruto did as the Kyuubi instructed and exhaled. Rather than a stream of powerful wind, the blonde spat out red-hot, broiling fire.

"_How is this going to do anything_?" Naruto thought, snapping his maw shut to cut off the attack. From the corner of his eyes he could see his friends shrinking away from the intense heat. "_It's cool, I guess, since I can't really use Katon techniques..._"

The Kyuubi sighed in irritation. "_**Pay attention**_," it said.

The fire devoured the puppets, sticking to their bodies and refusing to be extinguished despite one of the puppets releasing a large amount of foamy water. Once the puppets were all destroyed, the fire went out on its own.

Naruto landed in the middle of the charred clearing, glancing curiously at the burned plants and ash around him.

"_How did you do that?_" he asked.

"_**The legends surrounding my abilities are not all myths**_," the fox replied, something akin to pride lacing its tone.

"The retardant chemicals weren't able to prevent consumption..." Sasori murmured. He hummed to himself before sealing a pile of ashes into a smaller storage scroll. "Jiraiya, what do you think?" he said aloud.

"I think he's pretty much ready," Jiraiya said with a smirk. "Honestly, I didn't believe you'd be quite so proficient in using the Kyuubi's chakra."

"Gee, thanks," Naruto deadpanned, his glowing white eyes boring into Jiraiya's.

The hermit snorted. "Shouldn't you show more respect to the new Hokage of Konoha? Thanks _sir_ would be appreciated."

"New Hokage?"

"Yep," Jiraiya replied, grinning at his dumbfounded apprentice. "Turn off the chakra, by the way. I'd rather not talk to a glowstick. It doesn't really fit you in my opinion."

Ignoring the jibing, Naruto willed his chains into existence, and they stripped his body of the Kyuubi's chakra, gradually returning it to the seal on his navel. Immediately afterward, Fuu ran up to him, checking his skin for burns.

"You're... okay," the Taki-nin said, her eyes glittering in wonder.

"Told ya I'd be fine." Her fellow jinchuriki winked and looked over at Sakura expectantly.

"...All right," she huffed, "this plan of yours might work if you're careful. Just let it be known that I still don't like it and that I'd help you out in a heartbeat."

"I know that," Naruto dismissed. "Still, I'd rather you and everyone else not get hurt."

"I'm not some damsel in distress, Naruto," the pink-haired kunoichi growled.

Raising his hands defensively, the blonde replied, "I know, I know. Kumogakure's ninja are probably much more adept and organized than those from Kusa. Better me than you guys since jinchuriki have higher chances of survival."

Sakura still looked dubious. "You're not going to take any prisoners, are you? Not like this battle," she said, gesturing vaguely.

"This is going to be a slaughter," Jiraiya agreed. "As unfortunate as it is- and I really do wish we had other options- we can't hold back."

"It is why I am partaking in this battle," Sasori added with half-lidded eyes.

"Why couldn't you have done that before? Sasuke could've..." She trailed off and lowered her eyes, causing Naruto to frown thoughtfully.

If Jiraiya was being truthful, then the Old Man and he could've stopped the opposition on their own. Had Sasori cooperated with them, then Orochimaru could've been defeated as well. Sasuke- and the Hokage- might've still been alive had that occurred.

"For one, we had the chance to intercept and capitalize on our cover," Jiraiya explained. "While we did take some casualties, it's nothing compared to how bad it would've been if the joint army was sent after Kumo. Plus, Orochimaru himself, much as I hate to admit it, would take up all of our attention. He's not exactly a ninja you want to be careless around."

Sasori glanced at Jiraiya and raised a painted eyebrow. "Oh? And here I thought it was more for Konoha's pride. Then again," he said, "morale does tend to go up after a victory such as this. Furthermore, with your new abilities, Naruto, you won't be a liability."

"Hey-"

"Don't misunderstand," Sasori interrupted, "it's not that I doubt your skills. Your uncontrollable emotions could have brought out the worst in you. It is fortunate this battle went as it did."

"Fine," Sakura stated through clenched teeth. Turning to Naruto, she wrapped him up in a tight hug and whispered, "Please be safe. Don't do anything stupid."

It took the blonde a moment, but he smiled and wrapped his arms around his teammate before she let go and left, back rigid. To be honest, he was touched she was so worried about him. Truly, they had come a long way from the squabbling children they had been.

Naruto wasn't weak, though, especially with the Kyuubi backing him up. He wouldn't fall.

Definitely not.

"Yamato!" Jiraiya called out. "Head half a kilometer north. Fuu, go with him. Sasori and I will tail Naruto as he runs to you. We need an estimate on his movement speed."

The Mokuton-user nodded at Jiraiya's orders, created a wooden clone, and jumped off to complete his task. Fuu followed- Shibuki had instructed her to obey Jiraiya's commands for the duration of the next battle.

"I'll let you know when to go," the clone said.

**VvVvV**

(Southern Coast of the Land of Lightning)

Yagura sized up the four Kumo-nin in front of him. Three of the four looked to be chunin and thus were below his notice. Arrogant as the thought was, the Mizukage had no intention of wasting his time on grunts. His own ninja could deal with such trivialities.

"Swordsmen," the Mizukage prompted.

"I am not fighting a bunch of chunin," Zabuza growled. "Not after the Land of Snow. That was damned boring."

"What about that big guy? He looks strong," Ameyuri pointed out.

"That's because he is the container of the Hachibi," Akebino Jinin reminded. "Did you not pay attention to Mizukage-sama's lecture?"

"Well, yeah, I just didn't expect him to be so... big," the wielder of the Kiba blades reluctantly admitted.

"That's because you're a tiny little girl," Mangetsu drawled, leaping off of the nearby ship and landing next to the group.

"Why you-"

"Swordsmen," Yagura sighed. They were definitely not making a good impression if the amused smirk on the jinchuriki's face was of any indication. The chunin looked confused and were unsure of what to do. "I am Yagura, current Mizukage of Kirigakure no Sato. Please, stand aside. I have no quarrel with any of you."

The younger ninja raised their weapons in alarm and Yagura could easily see the panic lacing their expressions. Kirabi, though, simply tilted his head. The burly man folded his arms and said, "Why you gotta go on our land and act all grand? Mizukage or not, Kirabi ain't letting you fools run all over Kumo's domain. You're going to end up in Hachibi-sama's food chain."

"Uh, what?" Kisame dumbly stated.

"Look, a fight between us will end badly," Yagura replied. "Do you honestly wish to cause such destruction to your homeland?"

"W-We'll stop you," one of the chunin declared. He was holding his sword up and was quite visibly trembling. Ameyuri guffawed to herself and the other swordsmen chortled.

"I know what you are and it ain't scaring me," Kirabi reaffirmed. He grinned at the shorter jinchuriki and walked forward. The swordsmen tensed, though Yagura remained placid. Once he got close enough, Kumo's jinchuriki thrust a closed fist out. The Mizukage mirrored the action and, for a moment, their hands made contact.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two removed their fists from each other. Yagura finally said, "...I see. Well then, I admire your loyalty and your brother's sense of family. However, his aims are an issue to a close friend of mine. I apologize. Kisame!"

"Right behind ya, Mizukage-sama," Kisame exclaimed as Yagura unstrapped his hooked staff and swung, creating a concentrated gale of fierce, chilling wind that sent Kirabi flying away. The blue-skinned swordsman followed his leader as Yagura leapt after the violently spinning Hachibi jinchuriki.

Yagura was forced away from Kirabi as the taller man threw several electrified rapiers at him, landing gracefully on a nearby outcropping of rock. Three red tails had formed and were swaying in the air behind the Mizukage and Kisame had Samehada ready and primed.

"So that's how you want to fight, ya fool?" Kirabi muttered. The Hachibi's chakra shrouded his own body, complete with a facsimile of a bull's skeleton covering his back and face. "Yeah, let's do this! Hachibi-sama's gonna shove you into an abyss!"

"Kisame!" Yagura warned, squaring his body as the Hachibi's jinchuriki lowered his head and charged forward. The tails behind the Mizukage lengthened, preparing to take as much of the damage as possible.

"I gotcha," Kisame replied. Samehada gurgled, its shredded bandages lying on the ground beneath.

"Whee!" Kirabi yelled, slamming straight into Yagura's chest. The Mizukage expression twisted in concentration, though he did not cry out as the chakra tails struggled to divert the amount of force Kirabi was unleashing.

Fortunately, they didn't have to do so for long. All Yagura had to do was stall Kirabi long enough for Kisame to do his thing.

One swing of the sword and Kirabi suddenly found himself with a much thinner cloak. The amount of chakra that had been running through his body had been drastically reduced as well.

"_**Gyuuki should realize he is beaten now,**_" the Sanbi rumbled from within Yagura's mind. "_**Hopefully he and his container will see reason.**_"

_Good_, Yagura thought. The faster they could get this fight over with, the faster they could continue onward.

The Sanbi's chakra tails tightened around Kirabi's body as the large man struggled to free himself. Kisame swung the sword again, Samehada- picky that it was- opting to devour only the Hachibi's chakra.

"All right, all right! I give, ya fools! Jeez, couldn't have let me have a little fun, ya ghouls?" Kirabi folded his arms over his chest and stomped his feet petulantly. His mood abruptly shifted again and he said, "What about my students? They aren't hurt, are they?"

"They're fine," Yagura replied, returning the Sanbi's chakra to its master. "I only ordered the swordsmen to knock singled defenders out. Like I said to you and Gyuuki, we're hoping to force your village to reconsider. A long, prolonged fight would do neither of us any good."

"Bro won't see it like that," Kirabi said, stroking his chin thoughtfully and looking no worse for the wear. "His way of doing things is straight-up combat."

"Except for when several genin Kumo-nin killed a few of Kiri's own genin," Yagura dryly remarked. "Rather underhanded, don't you think?"

Kirabi stared at Yagura and then shrugged. "He doesn't take orders from me, my bro." The Hachibi jinchuriki grinned suddenly and added, "Neither do I, though."

Kisame groaned. "Please, can I kill him?"

"You got a problem, ya fool?" Kirabi said, pointing a finger at the blue-skinned offender.

"Gods, your rhyming is giving me a headache," the shark-like man growled. "Can I go back to scaring genin? At least that was amusing."

Yagura loudly cleared his throat. Sure, he could occasionally be unassuming due to his short stature, but he _was_ the Mizukage. "Ideally, we would not directly engage Kumo's forces," he explained. "Instead, we will attempt to force the Raikage to surrender and pull his forces back. We won't ask for anything else."

"Let me go with you," Kirabi offered. "Bro will be easier to deal with if I'm coming too."

"Oh please no," Kisame groaned out. He squared his shoulders, turned around, and walked away, back towards where his fellow swordsmen were barking out orders.

"I hope he'll see reason," Yagura replied.

"Not everyone wants to fight Konoha," said Kirabi. "Working with Orochimaru ain't cool. That Kabuto was one shady bat. He's one stupid tool."

The Mizukage raised an eyebrow. "Not everyone wants to fight against Konoha? Why? The bad blood between the villages is well-known."

"Eh, some people are sick and tired of the constant fighting. Don't hate! Appreciate, is what I say," said the Hachibi jinchuriki.

"If only more people had our views," Yagura lamented.

"Actually, ya mind letting me head over to my brother? I gotta try and talk some sense into him," Kirabi asked.

Yagura glanced at Kirabi and then at the amount of Kiri-nin leaping off of the nearby ships. Quite a few eyed Killer Bee warily. "Head a different direction, Kirabi-san," the Mizukage said.

"No problem-o, Sanbi!" Kirabi crowed. "Take care of my kids, eh? They'll be confused when they wake up. I'll put my trust in ya!"

Yagura nodded. "Of course."

With that, the Hachibi jinchuriki sped out of view, displaying some of his naturally incredible speed. Many Kiri-nin were watched the large man go, stunned that the battle hadn't become more explosive.

"Uh, boss man?"

"Yes, Ameyuri?"

"Was that a smart thing to do?" she asked.

"Perhaps," Yagura admitted. "It will depend on how the Raikage appears. My opponent isn't one who is blinded by hate- he was willing to fight only so long as his students were in danger."

"Are they?"

"No. Despite their former actions, none of them seem overly malicious. Besides, if I betray Kirabi's trust, we'll be in for a bloodier battle. I'd rather not jeopardize the lives of my ninja over three simple chunin."

"Isn't there a chance it'll happen anyway?"

"Unfortunately, yes. We'll have to wait and see. Should the situation deteriorate, we will protect the others," the Mizukage said. "Once that happens, make sure the rest of you stay away."

Ameyuri shuddered slightly. "Gotcha, boss."

* * *

><p><strong>It's been a while- mostly because I've been busy and because I was working on two other rather simple stories. Anyway, here's chapter 38. More of a transition chapter but things are moving along. Naruto has to fight again and is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his friends, especially since he got a shiny new power-up. It's not Biju Chakra Mode though (or whatever that yellow saiyan-alike form is called); more like Version Two with only four tails.<strong>

**Next chapter might be up later or not, depending on how much I study.**

**Any questions, comments, concerns, issues? Find an error? Leave a review or shoot me a message. I enjoy criticism, especially since it's been a while since I've worked on this story.**


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